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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24625030">We Are Young (So Let's Set The World On Fire)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/amuhseen/pseuds/amuhseen'>amuhseen</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Assassination Classroom Fics [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Assassination Classroom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Hayami Rinka could shoot me in the face and I would thank her, Honestly I'm so pumped guys, I've adopted all of the 3-E boys, I've been in this fandom since 2016 and it's STILL alive, Kataoka Megu please step on me I beg of you, M/M, Sugino Tomohito Is A Good Bro, i just love this class so much, the 3-E girls are queens, they are literally found family, yes I ship Sugino x Nagisa what of it, yes even Okajima</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 11:01:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>64,958</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24625030</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/amuhseen/pseuds/amuhseen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>An Assassination Classroom drabble collection. </p><p>(will add more tags as more characters appear)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akabane Karma &amp; Shiota Nagisa, Akabane Karma/Shiota Nagisa, Class 3-E &amp; Shiota Nagisa, Isogai Yuuma &amp; Maehara Hiroto, Isogai Yuuma/Maehara Hiroto, Shiota Nagisa &amp; Sugino Tomohito, sugino tomohito/shiota nagisa</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Assassination Classroom Fics [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1797424</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>60</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>413</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Lab Safety</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Pairing: Karmagisa</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Now, Class,” Koro-Sensei reminded yet again, pointing a tentacle up, “take care when pouring the hydrochloric acid into your burettes. Whilst it may be diluted, it can still cause irritation so avoid splashing it onto other surfaces or any of your classmates.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Koro-Sensei,” the class chimed back in unison.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Koro-Sensei really is into lab safety isn’t he?” Sugino sighed to Nagisa, who was adjusting their burette’s height, in amusement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s true,” Nagisa replied fondly, “remember when he gave us those huge hand-written lab practical books and every practical had a manga to accompany it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah and they all had really specific eventualities and anecdotes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And remember when he dressed up as Marie Curie to explain the dangers of radiation?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both shared a smile before shaking their heads and continuing with their experiment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, I’ve poured in the hydrochloric acid,” Nagisa stated as he looked over the instructions, “and you’ve added the phenolphthalein to the potassium hydroxide so all we’ve got to do now is add the acid into the alkaline and wait for the neutralisation to take place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Great. I’ll watch the first titration and you can keep an eye on the burette and then we can swap.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once the pair had taken their first readings, Nagisa was about to grab the bottle of acid to pour into their apparatus again when he felt arms wrap around his torso.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey there, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Na-gi-sa</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” a smug voice sang into his ear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Karma,” Nagisa sighed reproachfully, “we’re in class.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can see that,” the redhead replied, and Nagisa could </span>
  <em>
    <span>hear</span>
  </em>
  <span> the smirk on his face, “but do you really expect me to just stand there and do nothing when you look like </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I knew that I could feel someone watching me,” the blue-haired boy huffed in frustration, giving Sugino a look of ‘help me’. Sugino, the baseball-obsessed traitor, just blushed and looked away, pretending to look over his work in his exercise book. “And what do you mean ‘when you look like that’? I look exactly like I always do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you know what I mean,” Karma purred, nuzzling into the crook of the shorter boy’s neck, “look at you with your goggles and your lab coat that is too big for you. How adorable.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nagisa’s twintails shot up, ruffled, as his face blushed pink. He titled his head down to hide his flaming cheeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Karmaa,” he whined, turning redder at the taller boy’s chuckle. It’s true that whilst he wasn’t the shortest in the class, he is the smallest boy which means that he has a lot of disadvantages: he has to constantly crane his neck up to look at his peers, most of the time someone needs to help him when reaching for something on a high shelf, he can’t reach the top of the blackboard, and the lab coats envelop him. It wasn’t like there weren’t any smaller ones - it’s just that in the E-Class building, supplies are limited so everything is first-come-first-serve and since Nagisa isn’t the type of person to push or demand, he was the last to get a coat, which just so happened to be size ‘small’. Yeah, ‘small’ - as in ‘small’ for a regular Junior High kid so it </span>
  <em>
    <span>shouldn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> make him look like a ten year old playing dress up in their father’s wardrobe. He was sure that he was a sight to behold; the hem of the jacket went past his shoes and the sleeves that he rolled up to his wrists had now unfurled and hung limply past his fingertips. Becoming more and more aware of his classmates looking at the two of them, he attempted to push Karma off of him, “Don’t you have work to do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope,” he responded with a grin, “I told Nakamura that I wanted to talk to you and she told me that she’ll take the readings for me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nagisa gave Nakamura a disbelieving look causing the blonde to wink at him and gave him a thumbs up in response. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s nice of her,” he said dryly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And besides I know all this stuff anyway,” Karma tightened his hold on Nagisa before leaning right next to the other's ear and whispering, “so why would I want to waste my precious time doing work when I could be having much more fun with you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nagisa’s head felt light at the sensation of Karma’s breath against his skin. He was suddenly very aware of the fact that the class had quietened down since they first started the lesson - well apart from a shout of “Terasaka, you idiot! You let the tap run instead of doing it drop by drop!” from Yoshida. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Karma,” their teacher’s voice called out, “you mustn’t behave like this when there are chemicals present!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nagisa looked over at their target and sweat dropped, “THEN WHY ARE YOU HOLDING A CAMERA?!”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Tama The Matchmaker</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Pairing: MaeIso</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Can we please just take a note of how perfect Isogai Yuuma is - like if Shiota Nagisa didn’t steal my heart, I would totally date him (plus it’s fun how it’s canon in the manga that Isogai’s antennae droop when he’s tired - it seems that he and Nagisa both have very expressive hair (Nagisa’s twintails ruffle when he’s embarrassed as seen when Irina winked at him in episode 4))</p><p> </p><p>Also this is the first time I've ever written Isogai and Maehara as characters so I feel like this is not my best work so sorry</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The students of Class 3-E sat at their desks, waiting for their eccentric teacher to enter the classroom from his trip to Paris to get some French dessert so that they could start the last lesson of the day. After an hour of PE doing nothing but military training exercises was draining so they were more than ready to go home after - what they hoped - was an easy Home Ec lesson and spend the weekend doing what normal teenagers and Karma would do.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello, boys and girls,” their teacher said as he entered the classroom just as the bell to signal the start of class had rung, “sorry to have kept you waiting but Laduree was filled with all kinds of delicious sweets and I was so confused to pick just one. Well, anyway, let’s begin Home Economics. Now, as your teacher it’s my duty to prepare you for your future and not just in your academics. This weekend, I will be testing your ability to handle one of the most tiring yet rewarding parts of life: PARENTHOOD!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On the last word, Koro-Sensei popped a few party poppers with his tentacles as another wrote ‘BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR ANOTHER HUMAN BEING 101’ on the chalkboard.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!” The class yelled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sir,” Mimura raised his hand slightly, “why are we learning about parenting? We’re Junior High students. We’re more worried about our exams than about children.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Karma said, interlocking his fingers behind his head as he leaned back against his chair, “and who in their right mind would ever want to create a child with </span>
  <em>
    <span>Terasaka</span>
  </em>
  <span> of all people?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“HEY! I HEARD THAT YOU BASTARD!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Children, please,” Koro-Sensei called out, “parenting is an important aspect of life. Raising a child and watching them grow into a valued member of society is a rewarding process which is why I’m assigning you children to look after one of these lovely eggs. Of course, I will have to ask you all to pair up as well.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At that the class exploded into a frenzy as they partnered up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Nagisa,” Karma purred as he swiftly moved in between the bluenette and Rio’s desk, “why don’t we partner up?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uhh, sure Karma,” Nagisa replied, causing the redhead to smirk and lean down to whisper:</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“It would be good practice for when we really do get married.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“KARMA!” Nagisa whisper-shouted, making his pigtails fluff up, his face redden and Karma laugh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shaking his head at the antics of the class’ delinquent and researcher, Maehara didn’t notice the person that stood before his own desk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Maehara,” Isogai smiled his patented Prince Charming smile (trademarked and everything), “Do you wanna be parents?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maehara felt time stop at that exact second. Isogai would be a great assassin because Maehara could literally </span>
  <em>
    <span>hear</span>
  </em>
  <span> the moment his heart had stopped beating and his soul had left his (very dashing if he does say so himself) body. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uhh, what was that?” Maehara asked his best friend since elementary school, willing his face to not show how flustered he was.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isogai seemed to comprehend the insinuation behind his words when he blushed, “Oh. No. I mean - do you want to be partners? Like to look after the egg? Together?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Oh. Yeah, sure thing,” Maehara said. He was sure that the only reason he felt so hot was because of the lack of proper air conditioning in their abandoned building up on a death mountain.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Great,” Isogai grinned, “It’ll be fun.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure it will be,” Maehara smiled back. The two of them looked at each other, amber-gold eyes staring into light brown, small smiles playing on their lips.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“THIS IS GOING TO BE AWESOME!” their spell was broken by Fuwa’s proclamation, “I’m going to be an awesome mother,” she hugged her hard boiled egg to her cheek, “everyday I’ll wake them up with our national anthem, ‘</span>
  <span>Shinzou Wo Sasageyo’, and I’ll read them mangas to help them go to sleep and we’ll have cosplay photoshoots and we can binge-watch animes together and I’ll help them make a blog and -”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh, Fuwa, don’t you think you’re going a little overboard?” Fuwa’s partner, Hara, commented as the entire class sweat-dropped at the otaku.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course not!” she exclaimed, a passionate fire burning in her eyes, “what sort of parent would I be if I didn’t allow the only good things in life consume my child’s very being.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everyone just looked at her in disbelief.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, I’ll just get an egg then?” Isogai offered, being the gentleman he was.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uhh yeah, sure,” Maehara replied, somewhat distracted by the gentle upturn of the Ikeman’s mouth. The moment his partner’s back was turned so that he could get an egg from the front of the class, he dropped his head onto his arms that were folded on his desk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>What’s the matter with you, Hiroto?</span>
  </em>
  <span>’ he thought in frustration, ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>you’ve never felt like this with any of the girls you dated. You’re the resident playboy - you don’t do love and relationships and commitment. Why are you acting like some sort of first year with a crush?</span>
  </em>
  <span>’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Everything alright, Maehara?” the boy in question looked up to see Isogai gazing at him in concern.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m fine,” Maehara reassured with a lazy grin, “so what are we naming the small fry?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, we can’t just call it ‘egg child that will stop us from failing Home Ec’ now can we?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, of course we can’t,” Isogai gave a light laugh, “so what do you suggest?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmmm. How about… ‘Tama’.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“‘Tama’?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, as in short for ‘Tamago’ (Japanese for egg).”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Suits them,” Isogai laughed along with him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now, just so that you’re all aware, I’ve printed a barcode onto every egg in the box so if you try to replace it,” Koro-Sensei’s head grew green stripes, “I’ll know. Of course, I’ve also placed some temperature reading stickers on them as well so I can be sure you didn’t just leave them in the fridge the entire time.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When class ended, Isogai turned to Maehara and asked, “So do you want to stay over for the weekend? It might be easier to look after Tama.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, sure. I can take him to my house and pack some things and head to yours when your shift at the cafe is over.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Great. I’m sure mom will be pleased to have you over again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The moment the bell rang, Maehara promptly packed his things up, placed Tama in the little knitted egg pouch that everyone learned to make during class, and ran past a blushing Sugino (who was partnered up with Kanzaki - go him) to his house, where he flopped onto this bed (after delicately placing Tama in an egg cup that their teacher gave him on a dresser).</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, Hiroto, just calm down,” he said to himself, his whispered voice was muffled due to his face smooshed onto his bedsheets, “You’re just spending two nights at Isogai’s, no biggie, you’ve stayed over their before. Just act normal and don’t weird him or his family out and you’ll be good. Ugghhhh,” he groaned as he rolled himself over to look at the ceiling, “why does that Ikeman have to be so goddamn attractive,” he blushed when he thought about how Isogai looked when he smiled, at how his little antennae perk up when he’s surprised and droop down when he’s sad or tired. He sat up, leaning against his arms to look at what he had </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> been calling his and Isogai’s lovechild in his head, “C’mon, Tama. Let’s go see your other dad.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Maehara knocked on Isogai’s door later in the afternoon, the Class Representative opened it with a beam.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Honey, I’m home,” Maehara drawled as he held Tama up, “and I brought the kid.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maehara,” Isogai rolled his eyes good-naturedly, “C’mon in.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Isogai gave him that classic makes-all-girls-fall-for-him smile, Maehara saw nothing but a galaxy of sparkles in the background and was very focused on the way the late day sun caught onto his dark brown hair, making it look like an effervescent halo.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uhh, what’s the problem?” Isogai looked concerned again - great, there goes his plan on not being weird.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, nothing,” Maehara laughed off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two students entered the room only for Maehara to be jumped on by Isogai’s little brother and sister.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hiro!” Maehara looked down to see two adorable little dark-haired antennaed kids beaming up at him (this entire family’s full of charmers!), “Yuuma said that you’ll be coming!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boy piped up, “Are you going to play with us?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now, now, don’t crowd him alright,” Isogai gave his sibling’s a ‘stern’ glare that was overpowered by the smile on his face. The two immediately released him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aww, don’t look so glum, guys,” Maehara reassured, ruffling their heads playfully, “I’m staying all weekend so I’m sure that there’s time to play.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry about the mess,” Isogai looked embarrassed as he rubbed the back of his neck, “we were playing before you turned up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No worries. Nice to know you guys were having fun.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They were supposed to be getting ready for a nap,” Isogai said in amusement, “but every time I tell them to get ready, they just try to distract me -” Maehara gave a huff of laughter, “what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh nothing,” the blonde smiled, “it’s just that you’re so good with kids. This project will be done no problem.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” the other responded, ducking his head with a blush, “but they adore you as well. You’d make a really good father, Maehara.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maehara’s heart was beating so fast at the sincere way Isogai looked at him that it could probably leave Koro-Sensei in the dust, “Heh, not as good as you though. Anyone would be lucky to be your kid. Whoever it is you decide to marry will have one easy life.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure your future spouse would agree,” Isogai’s eyes lit up with a hint of mischief, “that is if you’d be able to tie yourself down for that long.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I would if it was you</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What was that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oh, hell, did he say that out loud.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh nothing,” Maehara quickly waved off, “let’s find somewhere to keep Tama.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hiroto,” Isogai held onto his best friend’s arm, “do - do you, </span>
  <em>
    <span>like</span>
  </em>
  <span> me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maehara felt his skin prickle at the intense way Isogai’s light brown eyes bore into his. He’s the only non-family member to ever call him by his first name and the way he said it, the way it came from his mouth, just sounded so ... </span>
  <em>
    <span>so right</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He could lie, he could just say no and continue to be just friends with the most amazing guy to ever exist because he knows what he’s like. Maehara Hiroto is a playboy who breaks hearts left, right and center - he’s not going to hurt the purest gentleman on Earth. Isogai deserves better than that. However, Maehara Hiroto is also an assassin and assassins are known for taking bold risks even when they think the end result will not be in their favour, because they never know which breath will be their last.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I do,” he breathed, “I do like you. A lot, actually. More than I’ve ever liked anyone. Isogai Yuuma, you are the most amazing person I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and it’s alright if you don’t feel the same. Our friendship means more than my feelings so we can just forget this ever happened and -”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I like you too,” Isogai whispered quickly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You-you do?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So -”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“YUUUMMMAA! COME READ US A BEDTIME STORY!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All in all, the weekend at Isogai’s went great and parenting Isogai-Maehara Toma went off without a hitch - well, apart from that one incident when Isogai’s little siblings wanted to play catch.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, Class, what was it like being parents for a weekend?” Koro-Sensei asked on Monday.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh I had plenty of fun playing house with Nagisa,” Karma smirked from his position on Nagisa’s chair. He refused to sit in his usual seat at the back because ‘we can’t separate in front of our child, Nagisa. We’ll give him horrible ideas’ so he shared Nagisa’s seat on the second row to the bluenette’s embarrassment (which only grew when Nakamura suggested that he sit on Karma’s lap if space was an issue). The devil incarnate proudly held up an egg with an angry face scribbled on it with black marker and purple lines on its top to resemble hair, “Karma Jr will take over the world.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa groaned into his hands as the class collectively sweat-dropped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maehara, Isogai,” Koro-Sensei’s voice lilted knowingly, “how did you two find it”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maehara and Isogai shared a smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was like a dream come true.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Five Times Nagisa Was Picked Up By A Classmate</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Okay am I the only one who finds it weird that out of Nagisa’s friend group, Nagisa’s the oldest and Karma’s the youngest (after Nagisa it’s Sugino then Kayano)</p><p>Pairing: Karmagisa</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>SUGINO</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa ran and jumped, catching the ball with his gloved hand before elegantly landing his trainer-clad feet onto the grassy field.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sugino whistled in appreciation, running his hand through his hair, “nice catch there, Nagisa.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nice pitch there, Sugino,” Nagisa countered with a smile, lazily tossing and catching the baseball with his hand before throwing it to his best friend, who caught it with ease.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The golden late afternoon sun shone down on the two Junior High students that were out in the field at the top of the mountain where their rundown classroom resides, practicing Sugino’s baseball pitch. It was a sort of ritual that the two of them would spend approximately four of their five school days playing baseball. It had started when a newly befriended Nagisa and Sugino had spent their lunch break lamenting about how they missed their old campus clubs (concert and baseball, respectively) so Nagisa, immediately reading how much the lack of baseball ate away at his new friend’s happiness, then and there offered to practice with him. With the way that the tanned brunet’s eyes lit up, Nagisa was worried that the teenager would either spontaneously combust or propose marriage.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You really think so?” Sugino asked hopefully.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” the smaller boy laughed, “Koro-Sensei had a point when he said that you could be better than Arita. Give it a few years and you’ll be in New York, standing in the same stadium as him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The other blushed, looking away as he gave a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his neck, “oh come on, now you’re just saying stuff.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I’m not,” Nagisa shook his head in amusement, “would I ever lie to you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I suppose not,” Sugino relented. He looked up at the perpetually crescent moon that was now covered by amber clouds, indicating that it had gotten late, “you know, we should probably get going.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re right. My mom won’t be happy if I’m home too late.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At the mention of Shiota Hiromi, Sugino gave his best friend a questionable look, his lips thinning slightly, causing Nagisa to give out a defensive, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>what?</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sugino blinked before responding, “Oh, nothing.” At Nagisa’s still suspicious expression, he said, “Hey, how about a race to the bottom of the mountain?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa only wore his puzzled look for a second before his face flipped from curious to smiling faster than Karasuma can take down an opponent. He rolled his eyes to show that he was well aware of the not-so-subtle change in subject, “yeah sure. Let’s get our things first.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After the two had slung their school bags over their shoulders, they both lined themselves up against each other and got into their stance to begin running. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“On your mark.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Get set.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“GO!” They both yelled in unison before speeding down the mountain that was as familiar as their own houses.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sugino gave a whoop of laughter as he overtook Nagisa, jumping in the air with a raised fist as he bounded over a fallen branch. Whilst Nagisa’s skill in people reading and behaviour analysis makes him one of a kind amongst his peers, when it comes to anything involving raw strength or pure athleticism he’s kind of (more like, </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span>) outnumbered and outmatched.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Sugino’s got that advantage over me,</span>
  </em>
  <span>’ Nagisa thought as he willed his legs to sprint faster through the myriad of looming trees, his thighs starting to ache from the exertion of running and the continuous thud of his filled schoolbag banging against one of them with every move he made, ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>years of playing baseball and the training he underwent on the school’s baseball team have really honed his athletic ability when it comes to both batting and fielding skills. Plus, it does help that his legs are longer than mine.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Out loud he yelled, “Just you wait, Sugino. I’m catching up with you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sugino’s laughter was the only reply he heard before his left foot plunged into a pile of fallen leaves and was caught by an unseen rock. His body fell to the floor, twisting his ankle in the process with his bag flying in the air.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nagisa!” he heard as he attempted to sit upright with his eyes closed. Hissing in pain, he opened his eyes to find Sugino looking down at him with concern evident in his navy blue eyes, “are you alright?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ye-yeah, I think so?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here, take my hand.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa lifted his hand to the outstretched palm in front of him, lifting himself up before feeling a burst of pain splash across his twisted ankle and toppling backwards with a yelp. He looked straight at the sky above him before the perturbed face of the other boy entered his vision.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uhhh,” Nagisa groaned, “I’m fine, really. Just let me get my bearings for a bit.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dude,” Sugino raised an eyebrow at his friend who, in his opinion, was way too stubborn for his own good. It wasn’t uncommon knowledge that as helpful as the blue-haired boy was, he was the last person to ask for assistance when he needed it. Sugino was sure that the boy could be actively losing consciousness due to blood loss but still would be terrified of possibly inconveniencing another person. Where Nagisa got his low self-esteem from, he didn’t know but he would be damned if he were to let Nagisa think that he didn’t have at least one person who would come to his aid when needed. “You can barely stand. I think you might have sprained your ankle or something.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, you’re right,” Nagisa pushed himself up to massage the sting he felt on his leg.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here, let me help,” Sugino grabbed one of Nagisa’s elbows and hoisted him up to lean the shorter boy’s arm on his shoulders.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sugino, I’m fine. Just let me get my bag and I can walk the rest of the way myself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nagisa, you sprained your ankle. It’s best if you don’t aggravate it. We only went down the mountain about halfway so I can carry you to the building and Koro-Sensei can get you some ice for it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t need to do all of that. I can make it there alright on my own”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, you can’t. Look at you, man - you’re limping. Besides it’s my fault you’re hurt. I was the one who suggested the race in the first place.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa scoffed, “Yeah, and I was the one who fell. It’s not your fault that I wasn’t looking where I kept my feet. Either way, it’s not like we’d get there very quickly with me hanging on your shoulder like this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That made the other pause in thought before turning around, facing his back to Nagisa, “Put your arms around my neck.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll give you a piggy-back to the top.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sugino, you can’t-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure I can,” he smiled, “I carry my little brother all the time and - no offense - but you’re not really that heavy compared to most people our age.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Blushing slightly at the unconscious dig at his small figure, “I can’t ask you to do this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not asking, I’m offering,” he rolled his eyes fondly, “now hop on before you accidentally hurt yourself further.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seeing that Sugino was not going to back down any time this week, Nagisa was aware that he was out of options so with an all-suffering sigh, he looped his arms around the taller boy’s neck and hoisted his legs up so that Sugino could hold onto his inner knees. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“C’mon, let’s get your bag and go up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa rested his red face onto his baseball-loving best friend’s back and prayed to whatever deity was above him that none of their classmates (especially Karma or Rio) would catch the two of them like this. He absolutely hated the fact that Sugino would have to carry his weight up the steep ‘mountain of untold horrors’ (Okajima’s words, not his - his classmate is still traumatised from their hike down to the main campus assembly hall) but he’s got to admit, it was nice feeling cared for.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <b>ISOGAI</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa was tired. He was so</span>
  <em>
    <span> so</span>
  </em>
  <span> freakin tired.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Right now, all he wanted was to go home, jump on his bed, wrap his Sonic Ninja themed blanket around himself like a sushi roll and sleep for the rest of the weekend. However, the universe had other plans because instead of being in the comfort of his bed at home, the blue-haired boy found himself standing under the scorching Tokyo sun about to start Physical Education, that was taught by the toughest guy he knew. Lucky him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, students,” Karasuma declared, standing rigidly in front of the class like the strict military man he was, “today in PE we will be going through evasive maneuvers. One of you shall be chasing the rest of the class around the mountain in the attempts to touch them. Once a student has been been touched, they shall join the original chaser and assist them in capturing the remaining students. The goal is to evade your classmates until the thirty minutes are up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, essentially,” Yada smiled and raised her hand, “we’re just playing Assassination Tag?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karasuma looked mildly amused, the right corner of his mouth just barely moving upwards, “That would not be an incorrect assessment. However, I would still like you all to think of this as training instead of a game. Ritsu will keep track of the students who are tagged.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ooh,” Kurahashi squealed in agreement, “this is going to be so much fun. I loved playing tag back in elementary school.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kimura,” the spiky-haired brunette looked up at the call of his name, “I would like you to be the chaser.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aw, Kimura? No fair,” Mimura whined, “he’s the fastest runner in the class.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Exactly,” Karasuma pointed out as Kimura smiled in embarrassment, “which is why I chose him. Now you all will have a 50 second head start before Kimura will chase you. Everyone understands?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“YES, SIR!” the class yelled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your time starts… now!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At that declaration, the entire class (minus Kimura) sprinted in different directions across the mountain, screaming with laughter. Kimura snickered, rubbing his hands together in excitement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as Karasuma gave him the go-ahead, he dashed straight into the forest, where he could already see one of his classmates.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fuwa!” Kimura beamed as he tagged the short-haired girl, “you got tagged!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Fuwa shot him a half-hearted glare, “Hey, no fair! How could you do this to me? Being the first person tagged - does our friendship mean nothing to you? Have you forsaken the very thing you’re named after?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kimura stuck out his tongue, “C’mon, let’s tag the rest of ‘em.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Meanwhile, whilst his peers were running around, scrambling for hiding places in bushes or tree tops, Nagisa raced to one of his hiding places. Growing up in the household he was raised in has trained him to be able to locate any possible hiding places in any given location. Years of squeezing his lithe body under beds, holding his breath in the darkness of his narrow closet, and tiptoeing around his mother’s (because he doesn’t consider that place his, not really) apartment in complete silence has made him an expert hider - impossible to find if he doesn’t want you to and incredibly difficult if he does. Karasuma has praised him for his sneak attacks but really, he’s just really good at being invisible. He came to a stop at a large tree. At the base of the tree was an opening near the roots, small enough for him to fit his body through and wait the next thirty minutes out. He’s not completely out of vision, but enough so that his classmates won’t bother him - which is exactly what he needs. He’s not really in the mood to run around, especially knowing that Karma would most likely play a few tricks on him if he were to unfortunately get tagged. He crawled in and sat in the hole, pulling up his legs so that he can hook his chin on his knees. After a few seconds of sitting there, his weariness took ahold of him and next thing he knew, his eyes were closing on their own accord.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘I’m sure it won’t be too bad if a took a small nap,’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>Nagisa thought as he stifled a yawn,</span>
  <em>
    <span> ‘the game lasts for thirty minutes so a quick five minute rest would go unnoticed.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And with that, he fell asleep.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>…..</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By the end of the game, the untagged people won - mainly because Karma kept on distracting the chasers by flinging mud at them from branches. When the class had regrouped at their usual PE training area outside of their building, it was clear that they were one short.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, has anyone seen Nagisa?” Kayano asked when she couldn’t catch sight of the bluenette.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nagisa?” Hara said, “I haven’t seen him. He did attend, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sugino scoffed, “It’s Nagisa. He wouldn’t skip school even if he caught the plague.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He was sitting next to me when Karasuma-Sensei told us about the game,” Mimura spoke up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe he didn’t hear Ritsu tell us that the training exercise was over,” Kurahashi said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yada nodded, her face contorted in worry, “he’s probably still hiding.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, we should go look for him,” Maehara stated.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karasuma gave a nod, “That would be for the best.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So that was why the students of 3-E were running around the mountain shouting for their classmate (I know that Ritsu is on his phone so she could probably send everyone his coordinates but shhhh).</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nagisa!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nagisa, where are you? The game’s over!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey Nagisa, come out, come out wherever you are!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nakamura, quit that! You sound like a killer from a horror movie!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yo, Nagisa! If you don’t come out, I’ll put all of the pictures I have of you cross-dressing on the internet!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Whilst his classmates were shouting around the mountain, Isogai had taken off in the direction of the hand (tentacle?)-made pool, looking through the bushes and trees.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nagisa! Nagi - oh,” he stopped when he saw a leg poking out in his peripheral vision. Jogging over, he held in a laugh at the sight of the teenager’s body leaning against the bark of the tree, his chest rising and falling to indicate that he was asleep.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Nagisa’s normally a light sleeper</span>
  </em>
  <span>,’ Isogai thought, remembering all of the times he would wake up during overnight school trips or when the noise on their transportation vehicle would get too loud, ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>he must really be out of it to not respond to any of us.</span>
  </em>
  <span>’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Nagisa,” he said out loud, shaking the shorter boy lightly, “Come on, get up. Tag’s over.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa just groaned softly and fidgeted, turning his body slightly so that his bangs fell over his face. Isogai smiled in amusement, coming to the conclusion that his classmate is not going to be woken up easily. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ritsu, tell everyone that I’ve found him and we’re on our way to class now,” he ordered once he took his phone out of his pocket.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Copy that!” Ritsu intoned brightly, doing a two fingered salute before his screen turned black.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pocketing his phone, Isogai bent down and slid one arm under Nagisa’s knees and one behind his back, easily lifting him off the ground in bridal style. He adjusted his hold on him slightly when Nagisa groaned, to make the boy more comfortable and made his way to their classroom. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rest of the class were standing outside the building, chatting amongst themselves before Maehara caught sight of the male class representative approaching them with Nagisa still in his arms.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Looks like you found him,” he smirked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Isogai said fondly, “he must have been pretty tired.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rest of the class shared amused looks, a few (Karma and Nakamura) even snapping pictures on their phones.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We still have a few minutes before class starts,” Karma said, ignoring a strange feeling curling in his gut at the sight of Nagisa being carried by the Ikeman, “it’s best to let him sleep. He probably needs it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it’s probably for the best,” Isogai agreed, “we wouldn’t want him to be too unfocused.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look at you, Isogai,” Kurahashi sighed, “carrying Nagisa like a prince.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>What a man!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” the girls gushed in agreement.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, come on,” Okajima cried, “I can carry people too, you know.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <b>YOSHIDA</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I SWEAR TO GOD!” Terasaka yelled, covering his ears with his hands, “CAN SOMEONE SHUT THEM UP!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rest of the class laughed, obviously finding amusement at the source of Terasaka’s distress. What was the source, you ask? Well, it might have something to do with Nakamura, Fuwa, Kurahashi and Yada singing ‘Let it Go’ from the movie ‘Frozen’ at the top of their lungs as they dramatically stood on their desks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, come on, Terasaka,” Okano laughed, slinging her arm over her chair to turn and look at him, “don’t be such a downer.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But they’re bein’ annoying!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lighten up a little, dude,” Nakamura grinned, “just sit back and l-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“DON’T YOU F****** DARE!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“LET IT GO!” the majority of the class yelled, causing Terasaka to groan into his hands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was lunch break at Class 3-E, however, instead of hanging around outside like usual, the students had been forced to remain inside their classroom due to the slight drizzle outside. Despite their reassurances to their teacher that they can handle a few drops of water, Koro-Sensei had banned everyone from leaving the building, passionately stating that ‘no students of mine shall fall victim of pneumonia and die under my watch’ with his usual level of melodrama. Their teacher also happened to be a hypocrite because as soon as the bell for break had rang, he had dressed himself up in a rain jacket and zipped off to god knows where to do god knows what. To keep themselves entertained, they had been chatting with each other before Kurahashi and Yada began singing, their voices increasing in volume with every new verse. By the time they reached the chorus, they were full on belting and had given rise to Nakamura eagerly joining in, using her chopsticks as a microphone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“God, I hate that stupid song,” Terasaka lamented, his voice muffled due to the hands covering his face, “the movie wasn’t even that good.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How dare you hate on one of the best movies Disney’s ever made!” Kurahashi proclaimed, pointing at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m more interested at the fact that Terasaka’s implied that he’s seen Frozen,” Kimura smirked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Terasaka glared at him, “I have a younger sister, dumbass. She’s obsessed with princesses and shit.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hara frowned, “Hey! There’s nothing wrong with liking Disney princesses. I love those movies.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Their animation is really smooth,” Sugaya said, “I have always wanted to give a try at animation. I did try doing a flipbook back in first year and it came out alright.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ooh, let me know if you do try animating,” Mimura told him enthusiastically, “I have tons of filming equipment at home. We could collab.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That sounds like fun,” Sugaya smiled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love Disney movies,” Kayano giggled, “I used to sing princess songs all the time when I was little.” She turned to Nagisa, “you like Disney, as well, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa hummed, “I’m alright with it. Big Hero 6 was pretty awesome.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sugino laughed, punching Nagisa on the shoulder, “Well, you sure do love superheroes, don’t you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nagisa smiled softly, “Yeah, I am kinda obsessed with them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I liked that movie too,” Okuda said timidly, “especially the science parts. It was really cool when Honey used chemistry to make those balls.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah, Big Hero 6 is good,” Yada waved her hand lazily, as if dismissing them, “but when comparing movies Frozen reigns supreme.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course!” Kurahashi agreed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” Kanzaki said thoughtfully, “I’ve always liked Aladdin. I used to pretend my bed was a magic carpet.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I did that too,” Hara said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Beauty and the Beast is a good one,” Okano pointed out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“‘Beauty and the Beast’?” Maehara scoffed, “more like Stockholm Syndrome 101.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“THEY WE’RE IN LOVE!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“HE LOCKED UP HER FATHER!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, did no one else like Cars?” Yoshida asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kimura nodded, “That’s a good one.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lion King, guys, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lion King</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Mimura said, “you can’t just talk about Disney and not mention </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lion King</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s alright,” Hazama remarked, “I’m more of a Hunchback of Notre Dame girl myself, but watching a PTSD filled lion get revenge on his uncle is okay for me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Fuwa addressed the class, “Okay is anyone else guilty of carrying cats whilst playing The Circle Of Life the same way Rafiki picked up Simba? Because that’s something I did a lot.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A few people raised their hands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nakamura’s eyes lit up with mischief as she turned to look at Nagisa, who immediately grew suspicious, “why don’t we recreate that right now?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh,” Okajima looked confused, “what do you mean?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean, why not have someone play that song whilst another person picks up Nagisa.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, what?” Nagisa yelled, “why me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nakamura shrugged, “you’re short.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“BUT I’M NOT THE SHORTEST ONE IN THE CLASS!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but it would be weird if a guy picked up a girl.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Karasuma entered the classroom later to give the students an update on their training schedules, he was greeted by the sight of Yoshida standing on Koro-Sensei’s desk, holding a very unamused Nagisa up in the air by his underarms, and the rest of the class kneeling on the floor (they had somehow managed to push their desks to the side) with some song blasting out on someone’s phone. He stared at them for a few seconds before deciding not to ask and closed the door.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <b>OKAJIMA AND MAEHARA</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Hazama,” Nagisa greeted as he walked over to the girl, who was lounging in a beach chair near the perimeter of the pool, “mind if I join you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The black haired girl looked up from her book for a second before looking back down again and responding with a monotonous, "sure."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After spending the entire day studying, Koro-Sensei decided to reward his hard-working students with an hour of cooling down time at the pool. Whilst the majority of his classmates had stripped off their clothes and jumped in with the swimming clothes that they wore under their uniforms, Nagisa wasn’t in the mood to join them. So he approached a chair and relaxed on it, taking out Koro-Sensei’s copy of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ and read it in silent contentment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Nagisa,” Okano called, swimming to the edge of the pool and laying her arms on the dry land, “aren’t you going to join us?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa shook his head with a smile, “no thank you, Okano. I think I’d prefer to just stay here and chill for a bit.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So their day continued as normal: Kataoka was swimming laps, the males of the Terasaka gang were test driving a remote control toy boat that Yoshida made, a few girls were having a ‘how long can you stay underwater’ competition (to the utter despair of their teacher), Karma, Chiba, Hayami, Kimura and Isogai were having a shootout with water guns whilst the others in the pool watched on in amusement. Okajima (who was very vocally banned from going near the females with his camera) was taking pictures of Maehara, who was posing ridiculously (looking very much like those female models who would bend their bodies on the covers of Irina’s fashion magazines), and Sugaya, who had spent his break time doodling a full sleeve tattoo on his arm with his biro and was now doing different body-builder poses with every flash of Okajima’s camera. Okajima seemed to be taking his job of 3-E’s paparazzi very seriously, shouting out praises and criticisms with every click, and changing positions just as rapidly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Although he was immersed in his book, Nagisa felt the presence of two people behind him so he looked up and turned to see Okajima and Maehara looking at him with deceptively sweet smiles on their faces.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh, do you guys need anything?” Nagisa asked wearily.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They both shook their heads in unison as they came closer and closer to him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s just that we thought that you look a little bit hot,” Maehara said innocently.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So we thought it would be best for you to get in the pool,” Okajima finished</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then, before he could even react, Maehara had taken his book and placed it on the floor before grabbing his hands and Okajima had seized his ankles.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa’s yelp of surprise had caught everyone’s attention, causing them to laugh when they saw him getting swung around like a hammock in the wind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, Nagisa,” Maehara laughed, “a little water never hurt anyone.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I’m still in my uniform,” Nagisa argued, squawking slightly at a sudden increase in momentum.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who cares,” Okajima responded, “the sun will dry you up anyway.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-Wha-GUYS! HELP!” Nagisa shouted, only to be met with the laughter of the spectators.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Throw him in, boys,” Nakamura cheered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As you wish m’lady,” Maehara grinned. Then he and Okajima began a countdown:</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Three...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, god no.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Two…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“PUT ME DOWN! NOW!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ONE!” 3-E yelled as Nagisa was thrown into the water, water splashing everyone within a meter radius.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everyone applauded, laughing and cheering when the blue haired boy’s head emerged from the water, gasping and spitting. His normally puffed up pigtails now stuck to the sides of his head uncomfortably. Giving everyone a baleful look (although, honestly, looked much more like an indignant puppy than anything else) </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa glared at them dryly, pulling his rubber bands from his hair so that his pigtails unravel into his long, flowing bubblegum blue locks, making it easier to dry. Running his hands through his hair, before shaking his head with his eyes closed, he turned to the person closest to him - which happened to be Karma - and asked him for a towel.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma blinked at him, “wha-what did you just say?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Could you pass me a towel please?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right, right, sure,” Karma stuttered out - and if Nagisa didn’t know any better, he’d say that the other boy’s pale face was slightly pink. Whatever, it’s probably just the heat.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <b>KARMA</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He did it. Nagisa did it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One second, Takaoka was standing, scared stiff as the bluenette approached him, and the next, Nagisa had delivered a sonic clap, making the psychotic man begin his descent to the concrete. As quick as a viper pounces on his prey, Nagisa drew his stun gun and placed the tip of it against his opponent’s chest, electric blue sparks illuminating from the non-lethal weapon as the former 3-E Physical Education teacher dropped to his knees with the Junior High student still standing over him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>He did it</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Karma’s mind said in a voice that was full of awe and another emotion that the redhead had been pushing down deep into his unconscious.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“WE DID IT,” Isogai yelled in relief, “WE DEFEATED THE FINAL BOSS!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Nagisa turned to look at him, in all of his 159 cm glory, Karma’s breath caught in his throat. Whilst his initial, overpowering bloodlust had dimmed down, his aquamarine irises still held that glow of dangerously intoxicating azure that shone brighter than all the stars in the Okinawa sky. His silken blue twintails whipped and danced vigorously with the harsh wind that swirled smoke and fog around the teenager. The lights at the top of the tower cast a faint sheen on his pale skin, illuminating his edges like some ethereal supernatural being. No matter how hard he tried, Karma knew that it was near impossible to take his eyes away from the scrawny, lithe figure that stood panting before him, with his windswept clothes, determined stance and powerful blue aura that surrounded him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked like an angel - a vengeful, unstoppable, </span>
  <em>
    <span>beautiful</span>
  </em>
  <span> angel of death.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And Akabane Karma, the violent, trouble-making delinquent of Kunugigaoka, was absolutely smitten with him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Later, once the antidote had been given to their infected classmates, Karma strolled towards Nagisa (who was chatting away with a recovering Sugino about a possible game of table tennis for the next day) and pulled on his arm without warning to guide him away from the class and into one of the hotel’s lobbies.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ka-Karma,” Nagisa gasped in shock as he was unceremoniously dragged into a deserted area, “wha- what’s going on? Is everything alright?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Inwardly laughing at the adorable mixture of purplexion and concern on the other boy’s face, Karma said nothing as he pulled Nagisa towards a corner, sandwiching his smaller classmate between himself and the walls. Without a word, he gently cupped the bluenette’s face and traced the freshly made wounds on his cheek with uncharacteristic care.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Karma-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re injured.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa blinked at the abrupt remark. “Yeah, he did push me around a lot. It doesn’t really hurt though so no worries.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma’s eyes narrowed. His mind replayed flashbacks of that monster standing on Nagisa’s head, taunting one of the nicest, sweetest, most innocent people on the planet as he brutally beat him up. He saw red at the vision of Nagisa’s body colliding harshly with the surface of the rooftop, at Takaoka taking immense pleasure at his pain. The sounds of Nagisa’s gasps and whimpers and Takaoka sadistically gloating about being the one to kill him played in his head like a broken record.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“AH KARMA!” Nagisa yelped. Karma came back to reality to find that he had increased the force of his grip on the other’s face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry,” he apologised awkwardly, easing his grasp, “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s alright.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s not,” Karma’s voice was hard, filled with a coldness that Nagisa knew wasn’t directed at him, “what that asshole did to you. That’s the furthest thing from alright. I-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Takaoka pointed his knife at the beaten up Nagisa, laughing maniacally, “I split you from groin to grin and savour the screams. I'll sever your hands and feet and mount them above my mantle like trophies!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The redhead grit his teeth and looked away. Nagisa, feeling the bloodlust start to seep out of him, was quick to reassure, “hey, it’s over. We saved everyone. He can’t hurt anyone anymore.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He never should have been able to hurt you in the first place,” the taller growled, “I should’ve ripped off the arms he used to hit you and beat him to death with his very limbs.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa smiled grimly, “Well, I was close to losing it tonight. If Terasaka didn’t calm me down,” he looked down sadly, “I would’ve crossed a line I’d never be able to come back from.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No one blames you for that,” Karma said firmly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I do,” Nagisa whispered, his head down so his eyes were covered by his bangs, “I was so scared and angry and I lost control of my bloodlust. All I could see were my friends in pain and dying and - and he was so </span>
  <em>
    <span>pleased</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he was laughing and I wanted him to </span>
  <em>
    <span>die</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I wanted him to suffer the way they did. I-I” he cut himself off when he felt hot tears stream down his cheeks, he raised his head slightly to get eye contact with Karma, “am-am I a monster?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What? Of course not” Karma replied resolutely, “Nagisa, you are the furthest thing from a monster. A monster is what Takaoka is, </span>
  <em>
    <span>not you. Understand?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” He placed two slender fingers on Nagisa’s chin and tilted his head up even higher, so that the other could see the bone-chilling, demonic grin he wore, “Besides, if he infected </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> and decided to blew up your chance of survival in front of </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>-” he gave a dark chuckle that would make the devil run in fear, “well, no number of words could have stopped me from whatever </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> would be planning to do.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Karma,” Nagisa sighed, throwing his arms around the other’s waist and nuzzling his head into his warm chest, finding comfort with the arms that immediately enveloped him and the rhythm of Karma’s heartbeat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma tightened his hold on the blue-haired boy, burying his own head into his neck. Nagisa was vaguely aware that his violent, brilliant, always calm friend was taking deeper breaths than normal before he heard a whisper of: “no one is </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever</span>
  </em>
  <span> allowed to hurt you. Not while I’m still around.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa leaned back and looked curiously up at him, blue eyes boring into golden. It felt like the Earth stopped turning, like time held no meaning and everyone else on the planet disappeared as the air grew heavier and a spark of </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> flashed inside their very beings. Right now they weren’t assassins training to kill their teacher, or Junior High students that were treated by outcasts by the rest of the school, or teeangers that just went through one of the most dangerous nights of their lives in an attempt to save their friends; they were just two boys that had been friends for three years, holding onto each other like the other would disappear if they were to let go or even look away. The looks in their eyes became more intense as the air became thicker and the distance between them became shorter and shorter and - oh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Next thing he knows, Nagisa’s head is spinning from the feel of Karma’s lips against his. The only thing grounding him was the feel of the wall against his back, of the Karma’s dextrous fingers holding his head in place. He was well aware that anyone could walk in at any moment, that they’re gossip-obsessed target of a teacher could fly in at Mach 20 and embarrass them to his heart’s content, but logic and reason had disappeared into thin air as every single thought running through his head was replaced by </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘Karma, Karma, Karma’ </span>
  </em>
  <span> when he felt the very person crush their lips against his more firmly and their hold on him tighten. Nagisa’s own hold around Karma’s neck became looser and looser as he began to run out of oxygen, before he felt so light-headed that he lost his grip and fell backwards, slumping his body against the wall. Panting heavily, he looked up at Karma only to be met with a smile. Not his teasing smirk, arrogant simper, faux innocent beam, or Cheshire Cat grin - an honest to god, small soft smile that 99% of the people that know him would have denied could ever exist. Nagisa squirmed uncomfortably with the way Karma looked at him, as if he’s the only being in the universe worth looking at. The pure, unadulterated endearment filling those usually sharp golden eyes were too much for Nagisa and his erratically beating heart to handle. Blushing and looking away when the taller boy pushed a few strands of stray hair behind his ear, tracing the curve of the lobe before retracting his hand, Nagisa attempted to catch his breath. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I like you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa’s head whipped up, his twintails bouncing in result, at the frank declaration.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wha-what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I said… I like you, Nagisa.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>You</span>
  </em>
  <span> like </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Like </span>
  <em>
    <span>like</span>
  </em>
  <span> me,” Nagisa asked in confusion.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t have kissed you if I didn’t,” Karma smirked, crossing his arms as he regarded Nagisa’s flushed face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> “I...I l-like you too, Karma,” Nagisa whispered, causing the redhead to push his chin up to look at the other. Karma tilted his head to the side, the side of his mouth was upturned slightly in amusement.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re gonna have to speak up, Nagisa.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-I said that I like you too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma smiled, leaning forehead to capture Nagisa’s mouth with his again. Only this time it was shorter, sweeter, but it still made Nagisa’s heart beat with fervour. It was over just as soon as it began, coming to a stop when Karma pulled away to rest his forehead on Nagisa’s.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was so scared,” Karma’s admission was a soft whisper that Nagisa knew was for his ears only, “when I saw you against him. At first I was scared that you were going to lose and then when you lost I was scared for another reason. Seeing you there, all by yourself with no back up made me feel so useless - like I couldn’t protect you - but then you took him down without anyone’s help and it made me realise that you don’t need me to protect you anymore. That you don’t need </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> anymore and-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll always need you, Karma,” Nagisa reassured, “I might have beaten Takaoka today, but every other day I’m still the same weak-looking guy that can’t reach the top shelf. When it comes to real talent and skill, you’re the much better fighter </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> assassin. They’ll never be a time when you’re not needed or wanted. You’re like this amazing, smart person and every day, I still can’t understand how someone as brilliantly talented as you hangs around someone like me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t sell yourself short like that. I hang around with you because you’re someone who I enjoy hanging around with. You’re, like, ridiculously nice. Like, seriously, it’s almost annoying how sweet and forgiving and selfless you are. You aren’t fazed or scared by me and you don’t get mad or offended when I tease or prank you. You are honestly much more than you think you are. Oh, and there’s the fact that you can pull off a skirt like a pro.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rolling his eyes at the last part of Karma’s declaration, Nagisa asked timidly, “So does this mean that… we’re - you know - </span>
  <em>
    <span>together</span>
  </em>
  <span>? Like, a couple?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma shrugged, “we could be if you wanted. I don’t know about you but if I had to choose someone to spend the rest of my life with, I wouldn’t mind it being you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa blushed and gulped at the wink Karma threw at him to punctuate his sentence before nodding slowly, “yeah, I wouldn’t mind being with you, either.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma smiled, looking at Nagisa like he hung up the moon and stars, and next thing he knew, Nagisa was being picked up and spun around like a ceramic horse on a carousel, his sky blue hair trailing after him like the tail of a comet before coming to a halt and drowning in one of Karma’s kisses yet again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They were still holding onto each other when they parted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you think we should go back before someone finds us?” Nagisa asked in worry.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let them come,” Karma smirked, “at least then everyone will know that you're untouchable.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Hello, Shooting Star</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Sir, are we nearly there yet?” Mimura whined as he trudged along with the rest of his classmates through the thick forest that covered their classroom’s mountain, “we’ve been walking for a while now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nurfufufufu. Don’t worry, Mimura. We’ll be there shortly,” Koro-Sensei laughed, “Now step lively and be careful.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was late in the evening and the class had been invited by Koro-Sensei to their E-Class mountain. Earlier in the week, scientists had predicted that there would be a meteor shower the current night and that everyone in Tokyo would be able to witness it. When their teacher heard the news, he was adamant that the class observed the shower together as a ‘bonding activity’, practically crying as he begged them to come. So that’s why the entire class - except for Karasuma (who had a meeting at the Ministry of Defence Headquarters) and Irina (who had ‘much better things to do’) - had found themselves trekking through trees, streams and whatever unknown dangers the mountain had to offer (</span>
  <em>
    <span>“I got stung by bees, bitten by snakes, and chased by a boulder!” Okajima cried in anguish, “And that was in broad daylight”</span>
  </em>
  <span>) when they would normally be at home.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, here we are,” Koro-Sensei exclaimed cheerfully as they approached a group of low hanging trees that possessed drooping branches and leaves that obscured their view of a clearing by a cliffside, “the perfect spot for the meteor shower! Children, if you could step through the branches if you please.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They walked forward, using the backs of their hands to push away the branches, stopping in their steps and collectively gasping at the sight before them:</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A myriad of dark blue and deep purple hues painted the sky above, dotted by splatters of twinkling sliver that shone like precious gems. The crescent moon glimmered, its beams illuminating the grass below, as a soft breeze gently blew on the tall strands of prairie cordgrass. A few fireflies flew around leisurely, their glowing yellow orbs dancing around playfully.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s so beautiful,” Kanzaki breathed out in awe. The rest of the class nodded dumbly, entranced by the tranquil scenery that stood before them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, children,” Koro-Sensei reached into the large knapsack that he carried with him on the journey, pulled out many soft cotton blankets and started handing them to his students, “I brought some blankets to sit on so that your clothes don’t get ruined.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Nagisa,” Karma whispered to the petite bluenette that stood infront of him, “come and follow me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The redhead circled his hand around the shorter boy’s wrist and gently tugged him, leading him to a spot of grass. He then placed a blanket on the floor, sending wisps of dandelion fluff flying and twirling into the air, before bowing and gesturing to the ground with a wink and grin, “after you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa rolled his eyes fondly as he sat down with his legs crossed, smiling when he saw Karma lay down beside him with his body upright and legs sprawled out in front of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nagisa, Karma,” Sugino called as he sauntered up to them, “mind if I sit next to you guys?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa smiled at him, “no problem.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sugino beamed gratefully, carefully laying down his own blanket on the grass before sitting at the other side of the blue-haired boy with his knees under his chin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now, boys and girls,” Koro-Sensei said once everyone sat comfortably on the grass, “does anyone know what causes a meteor shower?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It has something to do with comets, right?” Yada asked, raising her hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not wrong, Yada,” Koro-Sensei replied, “Meteor showers - or shooting stars - occur when the Earth’s orbit intersects with the orbit of a comet. You see children, as comets travel, they leave behind trails of rocky material, oftentimes the size of pebbles or grains of sand, but sometimes as large as boulders. Every year, the Earth crosses these trails of debris, known as  ‘meteoroid streams’, and the planet becomes sprinkled with rocky material. The debris then races through the Earth’s atmosphere, creating friction with air particles and generating vast amounts of heat. This heat vaporizes and illuminates the debris as they fall, creating the streaks of light - that you’ll be seeing shortly - in the sky. Now these celestial showers are often named after the constellation where they appear to originate, as seen from Earth’s surface. For example, meteor showers that seem to fall from the constellation Perseus are called the Perseids, and those appearing from the constellation Gemini are called the Geminids.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Okajima waved his arm enthusiastically, narrowly missing Mimura’s head, “I’m a Gemini.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So am I,” Kimura cried.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Their peers either laughed or sighed tiredly at their antics. Kataoka (a fellow Gemini) slapped a hand onto her face and groaned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It does look very pretty,” Chiba murmured lowly to the figure that sat next to him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hayami scrunched her nose, crossing her eyes to look at a firefly that landed on its tip, before agreeing, “it does.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t wait to go home and do some artwork based on this,” Sugaya whispered, “I have so many ideas.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Takebayashi,” Koro-Sensei called, “where are we on timing?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Takabayshi typed something onto his laptop and read a few readings. Pushing his glasses up, he responded, “the meteor shower should be visible within the next minute, sir.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Their teacher clapped his tentacles in delight, “excellent. Get comfortable, students - the show’s about to begin.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know,” Isogai said quietly to Maehara, “I used to look at the stars a lot with my dad.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maehara looked at the dark haired boy, whose head was resting on his shoulder, and replied softly, “Really?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Isogai smiled nostalgically, tilting his head up to meet Maehara’s eyes, “we used to sit on the ground outside our house and he’d put me in his lap and we’d just look at the sky. We didn’t know anything about constellations so we would make our own up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maehara’s eyes softened, holding back the laugh building at the back of his throat that was caused by the feel of Isogai’s hair moving against the curve of his neck, “You okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Ikeman blinked back tears, “I just miss him a lot, you know. Sometimes I take my siblings out and watch the stars with them. It’s what he would’ve wanted, you know. To make sure what we did won’t go away.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maehara smiled and tenderly pushed back the other’s fringe, “he’d be so proud of you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isogai nodded before reverting his gaze back to the sky. Maehara wrapped an arm around his shoulder and silently pulled the brunet closer to him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Guys, look,” Kurahashi gasped, pointing at the sky.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The class inhaled audibly at the multiple streaks of sparkling silver, pure white and pale blue that raced across the sky.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen,” Yada whispered as Kurahashi, who was cuddled up against her, nodded slowly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sugino whistled in awe, “You don’t see something as awesome as that everyday.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma looked at Nagisa - whose eyes were filled with awe, their gaze focused on the shimmering trail of glittery sparks that soared through the vast darkness - and thought to himself, ‘I wouldn’t agree with that.’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Make a wish, class,” Koro-Sensei said, pleased at the sight of his students so spell-bound.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Collectively, everyone closed their eyes and did just that.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>* Information from National Geographic</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. What Happened Next</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Whilst Karmagisa is my OTP, Sugino x Nagisa is a close second. So you can read this either as romantically or just them being platonic soulmates because we stan a good bro Sugino (go you, you adorable lil Baseball Geek)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sugino groaned as he felt a cold towel replace the now room temperature cloth that Okuda placed on his forehead earlier, relief flooding his overheated body. He heard a faint hum of laughter and wearily flickered his eyes open to see a hazy figure with striking blue hair towering above him. Yelping, he shot up - fully awake now - only to have his vision focus and find Nagisa looking at him in fond amusement. Ignoring the way his towel had started sliding down his face in response to his sudden movement and was now comically resting on his face like a sprawled out starfish, he gave the bluenette a relieved smile, his voice slightly croaking half from drowsiness and half from the weakness caused by the poison that was flowing in his body, “Nagisa. You guys made it.”</p><p> </p><p>“We did,” Nagisa’s eyes brightened and he handed Sugino a glass filled with a dark liquid, “and we have good news: you guys are going to be fine. You weren’t actually poisoned. The guy that made it actually betrayed the person that hired him and just gave you a really bad stomach bug - it should be gone in about a day but this should help you feel better.”</p><p> </p><p>“Really? Sweet.” Sugino tilted the glass in a silent ‘bottoms up’ gesture before downing it, being careful to not spill any on the futon he was resting on. Wiping his mouth with the back of his wrist, he asked, “so did you find out who ordered the hit on us?”</p><p> </p><p>Nagisa’s face darkened slightly as he mumbled, “Takaoka.”</p><p> </p><p>If it weren’t for the fact that the after-effects of the not-actually-poison-but-still-made-him-feel-terrible concoction still rendered him rather infirm, he would’ve shouted loud enough for all of Okinawa to hear but his head still felt like it was floating in the clouds so he whispered harshly, “<em>what? Why?</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“He wanted revenge for being publicly humiliated by a Junior High kid,” Nagisa’s face was wracked with guilt and his voice softened considerably, “that’s why he wanted me specifically. He wanted to recreate the fight we had earlier - me beating him really did a blow on his self-esteem and the respect he had from his coworkers.”</p><p> </p><p>Sugino looked at his best friend in shock, “Nagisa, you can’t seriously be blaming yourself for what that psychopath did. The man’s a deranged a**hole - if you didn’t stand up to him, who knows what would’ve happened.”</p><p> </p><p>Nagisa’s eyes lowered and he fiddled with the side of Sugino’s futon, “yeah, but the fact remains that he was targeting me and all of my friends got caught in the cross-fire.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, it’s not like you came out completely unharmed,” Sugino’s eyes dragged down Nagisa’s kneeling form in perturbation. The bluenette wasn’t wearing the hoodie he had on when he left so his bare arms showcased raw red scrapes and painful looking grazes and his pale face sported a large abrasion with a trail of dried blood that ran from the corner of his mouth to the end of his chin, “what the hell did he do to you?”</p><p>“I-it’s fine, really,” Nagisa was quick to reassure. Sugino didn’t believe him, “I barely feel a thing, honest. Besides, you were the one who was coughing up blood about an hour ago.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, don’t try to turn this around,” Sugino chastised lightly, trying to portray that he was more worried than angry, “you look terrible. Here, sit down next to me.”</p><p> </p><p>Nagisa just blinked at the spot on the futon that Sugino patted before drawing his confused gaze to the black-haired boy’s face.</p><p> </p><p>Sugino blamed his flushed cheeks on the stomach bug, “This mattress is big enough for the both of us and we really could use a rest: I need to sleep off this fever and you look like you just came from a battle.”</p><p> </p><p>The shorter boy looked at him for a beat before lowering his gaze with a blush and taking off his trainers so that he could scooch over on the mattress and lay his head on the other’s shoulder. </p><p> </p><p>Nagisa played with one of Sugino’s scarlet wristbands as the wristband-wearer tilted his own head so that it rested on his blue locks, “I was so worried about you. The entire time I was down here, all I could think about was how you guys had to go against some crazy guy that literally tried to kill us and I couldn’t have helped. I mean you did have Karasuma-Sensei and he’s a total bad*** but Koro-Sensei’s trapped in a ball and we’re all just teenagers at the end of the day. There was a very big chance that all of you wouldn’t have made it.”</p><p> </p><p>“I was worried about you, too” Nagisa replied softly, having placed his hands on his lap and looking at them intently, “while I was in the tower, I kept on seeing you and the rest of them just coughing out blood and in pain and - and I was so scared that we were going to fail, that we wouldn’t be able to do it and you all will die. And then when Takaoka-”</p><p> </p><p>Sugino looked at Nagisa when the boy had cut himself off, clearly not wanting to discuss what actually happened when he and half of the class had left to find the person who had informed them that the infected had only a few hours to live. He noticed that Nagisa had more injuries than the rest of the class combined and although he was itching to find out the details, he knew that a full recount can be given later - and by someone who would not most likely soften the details of how badly their disgraced PE teacher had treated the resident bluenette. With a small smile, Sugino wrapped an arm around Nagisa causing the other to stiffen slightly and give him yet another perplexed look.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s alright,” he smiled, “you beat him again and we’re all better now thanks to you, it’s alright. You don’t have to say anything else.”</p><p> </p><p>Nagisa relaxed a bit at his best friend’s gentle tone, wanting badly to snuggle into his comforting embrace but thinking better of it (‘after all, he still has poison in his system.’ Nagisa explained to himself, ‘not as dangerous as we initially thought, but poison no less’). He lifted his cyan eyes to meet the other’s navy, reading nothing but warm affection in their soft gaze. After a while he swallowed and nodded, “thank you.”</p><p> </p><p>Sugino tightened his grip ever-so-slightly, “just saying the truth.”</p><p> </p><p>The two of them sat there on the futon, their silence being all of the conversation they needed as they watched the twinkling stars above.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Say I Love You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Pairing: MaeIso</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“And you’ll never believe what happened after that,” Maehara laughed, leaning back against his bed pillows at the amused voice of his best friend coming through his phone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, really,” Isogai said, “what happened?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well-” he was cut off from two voices on the other side of the conversation.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yuuma, Yuuma, can you play with us pleeeeeeaaaaasssseeeee?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Would that be the two little trouble makers?” Maehara asked with a smirk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Haha, yeah,” Isogai replied, “I should go and hang out with them. Sorry for cutting your story short.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nah, it’s okay, man,” Maehara reassured, “even I can’t resist those two. Must be the Isogai charm - those antennas are to die for.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maehara,” Isogai’s laugh came out fondly, and had hints of flustered embarrassment, “see you tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See ya, Isogai, love you,” and with that he hung up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was three seconds later, after Maehara had comfortably snuggled into his bed’s mattress, when what he had said finally registered. Snapping his eyes wide open, he shot up, feeling blood rush to his face as horror filled every vessel. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span><em>‘What the hell did I just say?’</em> he thought to himself, <em>‘did I seriously tell my best friend that I love him. I mean, yeah it’s true, but he didn’t need to know that. And I was doing so well not telling him anything and pining in agony by myself.’</em></span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He turned his body and slammed his face into his pillow and screamed for either five seconds or five hours - he didn’t know. His mind was too preoccupied with the fact that he was going to see the person that he accidentally confessed to at school tomorrow, where he won’t be able to avoid him at all.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Is there anyway I can convince the class to change the assassination from Koro-Sensei to me?” he despaired to himself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But, hey, maybe by the time lessons start tomorrow, Isogai would have forgotten that little Freudian slip. Yeah, everything’s gonna be just fine.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>EVERYTHING WAS NOT FINE.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he got to class, the first thing he did was lock eyes with the male class representative, causing him to freeze up, turn bright red and speed-walk to his desk with his head down. Throughout the entire first two periods, he could feel Isogai’s eyes on the side of his head, but he kept staring straight ahead at the blackboard as if Japanese poetry and simultaneous algebraic equations were the most interesting things he had ever seen in his entire life, even though he couldn’t pay attention to a single word coming from their yellow teacher’s mouth. The only thoughts running through his head were: ‘<em>don’tlookdon’tlookjustactnaturalldon’tlookactnaturalactnaturalactnat-</em>’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maehara,” his thoughts were cut off by Koro-Sensei calling his name, “seeing as you look so focused, would you mind telling the answer for the question on the board.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uhhhh, 420?” he guessed sheepishly, making the class laugh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nrfufufufufu, I’m afraid that’s incorrect,” Koro-Sensei responded kindly, “while I do understand that it’s still in the morning, do kindly pay attention during my lesson.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Sir.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The lesson droned on until the bell rang and normally Maehara would wait for the signal to leave Mathematics class (in his opinion it was hard enough with just the numbers. Seriously, who thought it was a good idea to add in letters. Quit telling me to find your x, maths textbook - they clearly don’t want you back. Just move on, dude, and leave me in peace) but today the loud reverberating <em>DRIIIIING</em> just caused a wave of dread to crash onto his body like large waves suddenly crashing onto the shore. He made sure to carefully pack everything he had on his desk into his bag as slowly as possible, trying his best to avoid eye-contact with everyone. He stayed in the classroom even after Nagisa - who was normally the last to leave - and his small circle of close friends had gone to enjoy their break, only to find that Isogai was leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed and face contorted into an expression that was a mixture of worry and shyness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” the brunette said softly, “can we talk?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oh, hell, this was what he was dreading. Well, no time like the present. (at least their building was near a cliff so he could fling himself off of it once he made an utter fool of himself in front of his childhood-best-friend-turned-crush  - or he could throw himself into the stream that ran across the mountain, he’s not picky)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, sure,” Maehara mumbled, still refusing to look into the other’s golden-brown eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you not looking at me because of our phone conversation yesterday?” Isogai smiled pleasantly - <em>god, he was pitying him wasn’t he? He’s the perfect Prince Charming gentleman, of course he was going to be all sweet when he’s rejecting him!</em></span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Listen, Isogai,” Maehara rambled quickly, “I have no idea why I said that or what came over me. I’m pretty sure Hazama cursed me or something but it’s totally unfair of me to just spring that on you and yeah, I meant it but that doesn’t mean that you have to take that romantically - well, I did mean it romantically because honestly, you’re the greatest guy ever and-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maehara-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“-you’re just like the most amazingly good looking nicest person I’ve ever met and I still can’t believe how lucky I am to be your best friend which is why I’ve had like the biggest crush on you for like ages and-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maehara-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, nevermind, but what I’m trying to say is that you deserve the best so I won’t be upset if you don’t feel the same ‘cause like I don’t even know if you even like guys and even if you did I do have the reputation of being a womanising playboy and you shouldn’t lower your standards for someone like me and I really appreciate our friendship and you mean so much to me so can we please just act like nothing ever hap-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“MAEHARA.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The golden-haired boy’s tirade was cut off by the sound of Isogai yelling at him. He immediately shut his mouth and looked at the other teenager, who only blushed and looked away, mumbling, “I do too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Ikeman took a breath and looked straight at him, “I have feelings for you too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“‘F-feelings’ li-like <em>romantically</em>?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isogai just slowly shook his - still blushing - head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You sure?”</span>
  <span></span><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>The other just rolled his fondly and huffed a laugh, “yeah, I’m sure. I’ve had them for a while, actually.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like, you’re not just saying this to make me feel better because I promise you won’t hurt my feelings if-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maehara was cut off yet again at the warm feeling of slender arms, wrapping around the middle of his torso, and of Isogai resting his head on the crook of his neck. Slowly, Maehara returned the gesture, letting one hand rest on the small of Isogai’s back whilst the other ran through soft hickory brown locks. Then, Isogai pulled back and looked fondly into his eyes, “Maehara, I am absolutely one hundred percent sure about what I feel.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maehara couldn’t keep the giddy smile off of his face as he whispered, “would you hate me if I asked if I could kiss you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isogai smiled serenely, “Normally, I would accept your offer but I would rather our first kiss done in private and not be spectated by our classmates and teacher.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh” Maehara spun around to face the windows, only to find the majority of the class huddled around it with smug grins as well as Koro-Sensei, who was in his paparazzi outfit and was taking notes with one tentacle and holding a camera with another. He turned bright red, “WHAT THE HELL GUYS!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“WOOOH, BOYS! GET SOME!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“OH P*** OFF OKANO!”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Soft Caresses</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Pairing: Karmagisa</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Aww man, I can’t believe they caught me,” Okajima groaned in frustration, rubbing his cheek, that was sporting a stinging bright red hand-shaped mark on his cheek - courtesy of Kataoka. Maehara, who was walking along the inn’s corridor next to him, merely shook his head and laughed at his plight whilst on the other side of the golden haired boy, Isogai sighed and rolled his eyes at the two.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I told you to leave the girls alone,” the Ikeman rebuked, “we weren’t supposed to leave our rooms anyway - it’s almost time for lights out. We’re supposed to wake up early for breakfast so that we can climb the mountains.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hah, as if we need to prepare to climb a mountain,” Maehara smirked as the three reached the door to the large room that they shared with the other males of their class, “we climb one everyday on the way to class.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sliding the door open, the trio were greeted by their classmates, who were sitting on their futons, that were scattered all over the hard wooden floor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kimura gave Okajima a knowing look, “So, Okajima, how did your peeping session go?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everyone exchanged mirth-filled looks and a few burst into laughter at Okajima’s cry of despair, “I GOT FOUND! All I wanted was one little peek but Kataoka found me and slapped me!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isogai once again found himself sighing and shaking his head at the antics of his fellow students. He loved his class, he really did, and he loved being their leader - but it can be taxing being the one of the only people who tried to stay out of trouble. At least he can always count on Nagisa to stand by his side when it came to keeping peace and talking students out of things that would probably give him a headache and premature grey hairs. Speaking of Nagisa, he scanned the room in search of the resident bluenette when his eyes landed on a very interesting sight indeed. Karma was simultaneously sitting cross-legged on his futon and leaning against a wall near the corner of the room. Nagisa’s head was resting on the redhead’s thighs, his hair bands were removed so long silky strands of baby blue hair cascaded down the shorter boys head and obstructed half of his face from vision. One of the redhead’s hands was lazily scrolling through his phone while the other was gently petting and weaving through the sky-coloured locks, treating his sleeping classmate more as a pet cat than an actual human being.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey Karma-” Maehara started in amusement only to be cut off by the class delinquent.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Keep your voice down, Womaniser,” Karma glared at the other boy, “if he wakes up, I’ll make sure that they never find your body.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maehara nodded hastily as he repressed a gulp and shiver before continuing with a shaking whisper, “nice to see that Nagisa traded his pillow for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Karma only shrugged and hummed, not pausing in his caressing of the sleeping teenager on his lap, “well, he was pretty tired. Besides, it’s not like I mind. He normally doesn’t let me get too close to him in front of you guys.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not like that’s stopped you before,” Sugino muttered as he turned another page of his baseball magazine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aww,” Maehara cooed when Nagisa groaned softly before snuggling closer to Karma’s body, sighing in contentment with a small smile gracing his lips, “he looks so peaceful when he’s sleeping.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma threw another scowl at the blond, “hey, this one’s mine, alright. Back off and get your own.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isogai was going to cut in to remind everyone that it should be nearing the time for them all to retire when a barely-there soft purring noise could be heard. Everyone near the Karma and Nagisa had whipped their heads towards the duo.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Was that…?” Maehara asked dumbly to a frozen-in-place Karma, who only responded by staring at Nagisa’s sleeping form.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think it was,” Sugino said, the corners of his mouth tilting upwards as he looked at his best friend in fondness. Karma once again began stroking the other boy’s scalp, causing the bluenette to let out another quiet sigh akin to a satisfied feline. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, guys,” Kimura stated, looking at his peers, “would it be weird to say that I found that like, ridiculously cute?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma, who was gazing at Nagisa in complete adoration, immediately snapped his head towards his classmates and glowered at everyone who had vocally agreed with Kimura’s confession, whispering harshly, “hey. What did I just say about backing off?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I still have no idea how someone as pure as Nagisa ended up dating someone like Karma,” Okajima whispered to Mimura, who nodded in agreement.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Same here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me, students,” everyone stopped what they were doing to look up at Karasuma, who was standing at the door with a tired expression, “I believe that it’s time for you all to go to bed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes Karasuma-Sensei….”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Love Is Beauty, Love Is Pure</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Nagisa’s chopsticks fell to the ground when his hand went limp in shock, his half-eaten piece of sushi rolling on the grass along with them, grains of rice scattering about as the seaweed unrolled. The boy himself was completely unaware that he had dropped his beloved lunchtime snack as he was too focused on not dying - what with the fact that he was choking on his bite of sashimi and rice. Everyone around him was looking over in shock and immediately began trying to help him: Maehara began banging his spine with his clenched fist as hard as possible, Sugino riffled through his schoolbag to procure a plastic bottle of water, and Okajima desperately asked him if he wanted him to do the Heimlich Maneuver (“Okajima, you don’t even know the Heimlich Maneuver,” Kataoka deadpanned). Once it was clear that he was done coughing, Sugino, who was gently caressing his back, offered him the uncapped water bottle. Blushing darkly at the scrutinising looks of concern from his classmates, he wordlessly took the bottle and took small sips of it, ducking his head so that his bangs obstructed his vision of everyone.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It started out normally enough: the students of Class 3-E were gathered around the steps on the side of the building, sitting either on them or on the grass, as they spent their lunch break digging into their bento boxes while sharing stories and laughter. Somehow, they were recounting their weekends and Sugino pitched in how he and Nagisa had met up and went to the park together and somehow ran into Seo Tomoya, Araki Teppei and Sakakibara Ren of Class A’s Five Virtuosos later on in the day.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh god, not those a-holes,” Maehara groaned in sympathy.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Isogai winced, “they didn’t give you guys any trouble did they?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“They better not have,” Karma narrowed his eyes and punched his palm, “I swear if they did anything…”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What?! No no,” Nagisa held his hands out palms-forward and shook them in a placating gesture, “it’s fine really. They barely even touched us.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Karma just hummed and continued sipping from his milk box.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“They were acting like complete douches though,” Sugino said, frowning, “you know the usual stuff: about how they were better than us and how us E-Class kids are worthless and they were going to crush us and humiliate us - all that jazz.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Jerks,” Okano muttered in disdain as she angrily used her chopsticks to pierce through her tamagoyaki - most probably pretending that she was stabbing a main campus student in the chest.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“So same old, same old, huh?” Kimura laughed with a sad smile.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“But that’s not all,” Sugino stated, “Araki began targeting Nagisa.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“WHAT!” Fuwa yelled.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What did he do?” Karma scowled darkly, crushing his now finished milk carton in a hand.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I swear Nagisa,” Fuwa looked at him with a passionate gaze as burning as a hundred blazing suns, “if those A Class neanderthals did anything I will avenge you.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You really don’t need to do that,” Nagisa said quickly.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’M GONNA ANYWAY!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What did he say?” Maehara asked.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Nagisa looked down and murmured, “just made some comments about my looks. Nothing I haven’t heard before.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yeah and Ren was flirting with him which was weird,” Sugino scrunched his nose up in disgust, “he was all like “you know, if you were a girl - I wouldn’t mind helping you out.””</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Ugh, seriously,” Kataoka rolled her eyes, “as if any girl would want his help, anyway.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yeah,” Nakamura nodded, “I don’t know about the main campus trash but I have standards.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Like what?” Karma asked innocently, “Tom Hiddleston?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Wh-How did you-” Nakamura turned red, “God. Shut Up!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Sugino’s mouth started to curl upwards, “But you see Nagisa’s got more maturity in one hand than those three could ever dream of so he just stays quiet. So then Seo goes “come on Shiota, not going to say anything? Are you E-Class nobodies so dumb that you don’t even know how to speak correctly?” And Nagisa just smiles and says “well, no one plans a murder out loud” and walked right past him without looking back. Man, you should’ve seen the looks on their faces - I had to resist bursting out laughing then and there.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Everyone just erupted into laughter and Nagisa was bombarded with words of praise as people gathered around him.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Well done, Nagisa!” Okano punched him in the arm with a wink.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yeah, that’s Nagisa for you,” Yoshida smirked with crossed arms, “he may look cute and sweet but he sure knows how to shut someone up.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Serves them right,” Kurahashi nodded.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Nakamura grinned, “yeah, at least now they know not to mess with us.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Maehara ruffled his hair and hooked an arm around the bluenette’s shoulders, “Super proud of you, dude. Like seriously, Nagisa, that’s why we love you.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>And that’s how Nagisa found himself choking on his handmade salmon sushi infront of his classmates.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Umm, Nagisa?” Sugino asked, his eyebrows furrowed in worry as he continued his ministrations on his best friend’s back, “what was that about? Are you alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh no-nothing,” Nagisa replied softly, his voice shaking, “I’m fine re-really. Just-just give me a second.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are okay,” Isogai’s eyes raked his body in perturbation, “right Nagisa?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it’s-it’s just what Maehara said that shocked me, is all. No one - no one’s ever said that to me like that,” Nagisa could feel his already red face get even hotter at his quiet admission. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Complete uncomfortable silence filled the area as everyone digested that information.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Kurahashi gasped, “no one’s ever told you that they love you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha- no. I mean, my parents have told me that before but it’s just not as easily as Maehara did and well he said it so unprompted that it caught me off guard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that’s the truth. His father isn’t around to tell him that he loves him and when he does, it’s always just a brief throwaway line, like it’s an afterthought to remind himself that Nagisa is his son and that’s what he’s supposed to say. He still remembers how around five years ago, he stood by the front door as his dad was about to leave, the hell-hole Nagisa called home being far too much for him. The older man only looked back to say “</span>
  <em>
    <span>I love you but I can’t handle your mother anymore</span>
  </em>
  <span>” and walked away without another word. Yeah, his father’s version of love was abandonment. His mother only says it when he’s down. She pets his hair and kisses his cheek with a sweet smile and purrs out “</span>
  <em>
    <span>you know I’m only doing this because I love you, sweetheart</span>
  </em>
  <span>”, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>do you really think anyone else would love and care for you the way I do</span>
  </em>
  <span>”, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>You see, honey, you know I’m right - oh I love you so much</span>
  </em>
  <span>”. For Maehara to just come out and say that all on his own and so happily and care-free just made no sense. Knowing how to read people is the one thing he’s good at yet Maehara’s body language is as illegible as the doctor’s note he got back in Elementary School - his words just didn’t match his actions and Nagisa was so confused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mimura raised an eyebrow, “You shouldn’t be prompted to say I love you to your child.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nagisa just shrugged and then had his breath knocked out of him when Yada came barreling forward and crushed his torso in a tight embrace, “Wha-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We love you, Nagisa,” Yada, tears streaming down her face, “we all love you so much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At Nagisa’s look of pure shock and confusion she just hugged him tighter.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No one’s ever said that to me like that</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘No one,’</span>
  </em>
  <span> Yada thought, </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘should ever look so shocked to hear that they’re loved.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She was immediately joined by Kurahashi and Okano and Maehara and Kayano and Fuwa and somehow Nagisa found himself in the middle of a hugging pile made up of the majority of his classmates.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s true,” Kurahashi beamed, although her eyes were gleaming with sadness, “we all really really love you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How could we not?” Maehara asked, “you’re a pretty hard person to dislike.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re more than just a classmate to us, Nagisa,” Okano smiled, “you’re like a brother.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I am?” Nagisa said softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“YES!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course you are,” Kataoka nodded firmly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t know,” Sugino looked guilty, “surely - surely you must have known something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Nagisa,” Nakamura smiled fondly, “you’re our blueberry cinnamon roll. You think you’re not part of our weirdly dysfunctional family. Please, you’re already on the Christmas card.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Karma smirked, though he squirmed uncomfortably, “what they said.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I love you guys, too,” Nagisa gave all of them a small smile, wiping his eyes and feeling embarrassed when he finds wetness around them, “you guys are the brothers and sisters I’ve always wanted.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To be honest, he supposes that in his head he always knew that the relationship he had with his classmates was something he could never pinpoint and even know having the truth displayed out in front of him still felt like a dream. He never understood what true love is, but sitting here, packed inside this mess of his friends like a sardine in a tin, he supposes that that warm feeling that was being emitted from his classmates that promised him comfort and protection and everything else he craved but never asked for, well, it must be something pretty close to that.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Take My Hand (Take My Whole Life Too)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So I decided to write Sugino x Nagisa</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Alright, next question,” Sugino declared with a determined look on his face, banging his fists on his thighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nagisa, who was sitting cross-legged opposite him, just smiled as he picked up another neon blue flash card, “Okie dokie, then. Explain the trend in reactivity of Group One elements.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, uh right. I know this one,” Sugino scrunched up his face and massaged his temples, “it’s got something to do with the - huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both boys looked up at the ceiling when the lights of Sugino’s bedroom started flickering sporadically before looking at each other in confusion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What was that?” Nagisa cocked his head to the side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sugino shrugged in response, “I don’t know. They don’t normally do that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t we get back to studying the-AHH” Nagisa was cut off by a loud spark of lightning, followed by a deafening boom of thunder, dropping his card in shock and clamping his hands over his ears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nagisa?” Sugino asked, worry filling every syllable, “are you okay, man?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m fine,” the bluenette tried for a reassuring smile but an uncomfortable grimace somehow found its way into his face, “I just don’t like loud noises a lot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When another sequence of sparks and rumbles made their debut, Nagisa jumped then pushed his hands on his ears with more force and shut his eyes so tightly that it looked almost painful. Sugino’s concern for his friend had doubled - no, quadrupled - when he noticed that the smaller male was shaking in place.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Shiota Nagisa Weakness #1: He’s scared of thunderstorms</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Standing up, the black-haired boy walked over to his bed and quickly snatched up a thin blanket, making sure to gently drape it over Nagisa’s shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry,” Sugino tried to make his voice light, hoping he was being as comforting as possible, “it’s just a stupid storm. I’m sure that it’ll pass and everything will be alright - uh oh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as he had begun to alleviate the other’s fears (like a good best friend slash host should), the lights decided that now would be a perfectly good time to pull a Karma and not work. Nagisa’s breath hitched at the tell-tale sound of the petering zing indicating that the lights had fizzled out. Of all times for the power to go out, now was the frickin worst. Sugino could faintly see the blue-haired boy’s outline curl into itself, the movement of the blanket’s fabric showing that he was still shivering in fear. Soft little whimpers we’re leaving his mouth in between his audible laboured breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Shiota Nagisa Weakness #2: He’s scared of the dark</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Listen Universe</span>
  </em>
  <span>,’ Sugino despaired internally, </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘I’m sorry I said that I hated you when I was kicked out of the baseball club but Nagisa has literally never done anything wrong in his life. So do you think you can help me out here because I really don’t like seeing my best friend scared.</span>
  </em>
  <span>’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing happened. Well, screw you too, Universe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Nagisa,” Sugino whispered, pushing the studying equipment away and shuffling forward so that he was directly in front of the other boy. He slowly pulled out his hands and let them rest on Nagisa’s shoulders in what he hoped was a grounding gesture, “I know that you’re probably really scared right now what with the storm and the power going out but it’s alright, okay. It’s all fine. I’m here and I swear that nothing’s gonna happen to you while I’m around.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ever so slowly he brought his hands down to meet with Nagisa’s smaller, more slender ones, holding them gently. Another crash of thunder and lightning was heard, this time much louder and closer than its predecessors, causing Nagisa’s grip on Sugino’s to tighten as his breathing became more erratic. The blue-haired boy’s voice came out so soft and vulnerable that Sugino’s heart felt like it was getting pummelled by a baseball bat, “don’t go. Please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Sugino murmured, repositioning one of his hands so that its fingers fiddled with one of the hair bands that seemed to reside on the other’s wrists, “I’m not going anywhere, okay. I’m gonna stay right by your side, I swear. Would it - would it be alright if I hugged you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the pitch darkness, Sugino couldn’t see whether or not Nagisa nodded his head but he supposed that his question was answered when another series of bolts and drums made him feel arms envelop his midsection and soft, silky hair rubbing against his chest and under his neck. Immediately, he wrapped the small, shaking bundle with his own arms and gently rubbed that shivering back as he felt the cotton of his shirt start to get wet with spots of tears, “it’s alright, see. Just take some deep breaths with me, alright. I know that it can be scary but I’ve got you and I’m not letting you go until you want me to, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was when he was lightly ghosting his fingertips over Nagisa’s body when he felt it: a repressed laugh. Furrowing his eyebrows, he asked the other if he was okay, only for him to get a - kind of sheepish - reply of, “Yeah, I’m fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Deciding to believe him, the taller boy continued his ministrations only to receive the same result. A lightbulb lit up in his head as a smile started to form on his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Shiota Nagisa Weakness #3: He’s ticklish</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, whilst Nagisa was held protectively in that warm, comforting embrace, his earlier shakes had diminished so now would be the perfect time to distract him from the storm outside. Normally, sneaking up on the twin-tailed researcher of the class or surprising him would be a feat as difficult as dressing Karasuma in drag and making him do the hula however, as the aforementioned researcher was currently preoccupied, now would be the perfect time to strike - and strike he did. With no warning whatsoever, Sugino wriggled his fingers under Nagisa’s arms, trailing them down to his sides and up again. Nagisa exploded into a cacophony of uncontrollable giggles, his hysterical laughter so overpowering that the baseball lover could barely hear what the other was attempting - and miserably failing - to say. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“WHA - HAHAHAA - SUGI- HAHA- NO. ST-STO-HAHA!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What was that?” Sugino grinned as the force of Nagisa’s shakes (now caused by laughter instead of fear) knocked him over on his back, causing Sugino to pin him down with even more inconsistent tickles. It was then when the lights turned on, making both boys look up again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh,” Sugino mused, “looks like the power’s back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Nagisa’s voice came out breathlessly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Turning to look down on him, Sugino froze as he took in their positions. Laying directly under him, Nagisa’s face was flushed as he looked up at him with an appreciative smile. Locks of blue hair sprawled around him like a halo and some stray strands had crossed over his face. As if ice water had been dumped on both of them as they realised how close they were, their bodies had become paralysed and their faces had gone even redder than Sugino’s wristbands. Wordlessly, making sure to not look at the other, Sugino got up and moved to his original position further away from Nagisa, ignoring the feeling of </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> that had filled his chest with warmth when he and Nagisa had first embraced and was now once again making itself known.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Nagisa said, looking down in a way that Sugino could only describe as adorable, “for helping me. I-I really appreciated it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then when Nagisa looked up at him with genuine gratitude and affability shining in endearing blue eyes, Sugino could only rub his nape and reply back with an embarrassed “anytime” as he was left wondering. Wondering what would’ve happened if he had lowered himself down to place a kiss on that pale forehead, if he had brushed away stray locks and just melted into the comfort that was his best friend. Irina Jelavic told them that the right words can cause anyone to get entranced, but in Sugino’s case, those warm blue eyes had him hook, line and sinker and nothing would please him more than to be caught in their gaze forever.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Sugino Tomohito Weakness #1: Shiota Nagisa</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. You Came And You Took This Heart</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHIOTA NAGISA. YOU SHALL FOREVER HAVE A PLACE IN MY HEART!</p><p>Pairing: Karmagisa</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“This is nice,” Nagisa murmured, head resting on Karma’s shoulder as he snuggled closer to the inviting warmth that the taller boy was exuding.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma looked down at the petite blue-haired boy that had invaded his heart and mind, who had seen him in all his wild, uncontrollable, borderline sadistic glory and instead of running away, welcomed him with open arms and blinding smiles, who had knocked down the inviolable walls he spent years building and had slithered into the darkest parts of him. It was laughable, really; how this small, weak-looking little thing who flinches at the sight of punches had the most violent and dangerous student in the whole school in the palm of his hand - and what’s even more funny was that Karma wouldn’t have it any other way. He gave a small smile at the way Nagisa’s large cerulean eyes, the only eyes that saw him - the real him, with all of his faults - and still shined with awe and wonder, was digesting the sight of the velvet sky, splashed with hues of blues, purples and indigos and dotted with specks of silver, with such amazement. It was Karma’s idea to come here, to the cliff-side where he did that questionable solo assassintion attempt, just so that the two of them can spend the final hours of Nagisa’s birthday, lounging on the grass, away from the loudness of their classmates, “really?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa huffed out a soft laugh, “yeah, I’ve got to say that star-gazing was a good idea.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to say it like that. I come up with good ideas all the time.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Karma,” even though the other wasn’t looking at him, Nagisa was sure that he was aware that he was rolling his eyes, “most of your ‘good ideas’ involve someone either getting hurt, embarrassed or permanently traumatised.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know,” Karma said brightly, “aren’t you lucky to have such an awesome boyfriend.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa just gave a disbelieving sigh as he shook his head, deciding not to retort, before taking a deep breath and releasing it to whisper, “it’s just so quiet and peaceful. I like it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Slowly he slid his hand into Karma’s, smiling when he felt the other’s fingers squeeze his ever so slightly. It was these moments that Nagisa adored and yearned for. Whilst the Karma he sees everyday in class was a being of awe and admiration - with his sharp wit, biting remarks, challenging smirk and a highly intelligent mind that runs a hundred miles an hour - the Karma that was sitting next to him right now - the Karma that lets him borrow his jacket when he’s cold and lets him sleep on him when he’s tired and gives him hugs that cover him with warmth and offer him protection - makes the butterflies that flap around in his stomach melt into this warm fuzzy feeling that makes Nagisa feel so vulnerable yet unstoppable. Being raised in the household he lives in makes him question his worth, makes him wonder if he’s ever even wanted, but when the same teenager that can make grown men scream in terror looks at him with warm eyes that are filled with nothing but endearment and touches him with a gentleness that no one else but Nagisa knows that he’s capable of, well, all of the worries and self-doubt evaporate into nothing because if the same brilliant person who gets above 90 in every test and can take a person down with both his words and fists faster than blinking considered him someone worth being around then there’s got to be something about him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know,” Karma mused as he threw an arm around his smaller frame and tugged him closer, “even though it was your birthday I felt like I was the one getting treated by spending it with you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa whipped his head towards him, smacking the other’s cheek with a wild pigtail. Karma smirked, playful eyes drinking up the delightful blush that had spread across Nagisa’s face as well as the way that the dim moonlight illuminated his face in the best way possible, making his azure irises almost glow under the darkness caused by his bangs and his long eyelashes to cast crescent-shaped shadows over his pale, luminescent skin. His voice came out in a mischievous cadence, “now what’s with that look, Nagi?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa scrunched up his face in a pout that could only be described as ‘adorable’ and honestly looked more like an upset puppy than whatever disgruntled glare he was hoping for before looking down and murmuring with embarrassment, “you can’t just say things like that. You know that I get all flustered.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ohoho, Nagisa,” Karma said smugly, using the curved side of his index finger to push Nagisa’s head up so that he could meet those beautiful eyes head-on, “do my words that much of an effect on you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa hit him lightly with a petulant expression, “you know they do. It’s not fair.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I guess it’s only fair,” Karma smirked, “since you were being so mean at your birthday party.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa rolled his eyes at that reminder. The class decided to throw a surprise party at Nakamura’s house to celebrate him turning another year older. Whilst he was spending the day with Karma, Sugino and Kayano, the others had congregated in their resident English expert’s house and prepared the best party he’d ever been to (which might have something to do with the fact that there was an entire table covered with sushi). He felt so lucky and grateful to be in a class that was filled with such loving and caring people. What he wasn’t grateful for, however, was that Karma kept on attempting to give him a ‘couple’s version of birthday punches’ by giving him fifteen kisses instead - to the surprise of literally no one. Nagisa was on guard throughout the entire afternoon, doing whatever he could to stop another dose of humiliation caused by Karma’s excessive need for PDA. Although, once the party was over, Karma spared no time whatsoever in pulling him into an abandoned alleyway and kissing him breathless against a wall before they started their ascent of the E-Class mountain so the redhead really has no room to complain. Regardless, since there was no one here, what’s the harm of allowing both of them to let loose a bit, “it’s still my birthday you know. I’m sure there’s time for you to give me all fifteen.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma brightened up, eyes lighting up with familiar playfulness, “is that so?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I suppose so.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma brought face upwards whilst simultaneously bringing his own down so that the two of them could meet in the middle. Nagisa gasped, eyes going wide; it didn’t matter that they have been dating for a while - every single time Karma would kiss him, fireworks would start erupting in his head like it was their first time. Nagisa’s arms automatically found their way around Karma’s shoulders before his brain could even tell them to go there, his body acting on its own accord as his mind went blank and then began working again only for every thought to be consumed by the teenager in front of him. His eyes were closed but he knew exactly what the other was doing, with the way he felt Karma’s lips curve into his usual smirk, with the way he felt Karma’s fingers digging into his cheeks as the redhead pulled their already close faces even closer. Nagisa held onto the back of Karma’s shirt collar with all of the quickly-draining strength he had as he could feel the oxygen seeping out of him (he did not want a repeat of that time he fainted mid-kiss, thank you very much). Thankfully, Karma could sense his struggle to give out completely and drew back, panting. With a self-satisfied smirk, he made a show of looking Nagisa up and down like a jerk - a jerk that Nagisa would walk through hell hand in hand with. Snaking one arm around the bluenette’s waist, he used the other to cup his cheek before whispering, “One down, fourteen to go.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Laughing and shaking his head at Nagisa’s startled look, Karma brought Nagisa’s head closer so that he could peck a kiss to his forehead, “two-” three to his right cheek “-three, four, five-” three to his left cheek “-six, seven, eight-” four down the column of his neck “-nine, ten, eleven, twelve-” one on the tip of his nose “-thirteen-” and a final one right on his lips “-and fourteen.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Still feeling light-headed, Nagisa laughed weakly, “nice to know that you can count, Karma.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I did get a hundred percent in maths on the mid-term.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa wondered if anyone ever told Karma he looks like a peacock when he sticks his head up like that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So did you enjoy your birthday?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmm? Oh, yeah, I did. Spending time with you and Sugino and Kayano at the mall is always enjoyable and then to go over to Nakamura’s to find out that everyone prepared a surprise party for me. It’s just - just so,” Nagisa’s voice choked up as he could feel his emotions building up. He would forever thank the heavens that he got exiled to E-Class. Never before in his life had he ever felt so happy and loved and - god, was he crying? “I’m so happy that I got to spend it with all of them. I don’t know what I did to deserve them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, hey, don’t speak like that,” Karma chastised lightly, using his thumb to wipe away the wetness around Nagisa’s eyes, “you deserve everything. Speaking of which, I hope you liked my present.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Karma, I already told you that I loved it. But seriously, you didn’t need to get me all of those comic books. Some of them aren’t even sold in Japan - how did you get them?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ahh,” Karma smiled mysteriously as he patted the bluenette’s head, “that’s for me to know, Nagi.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Nagisa looked at him dryly, “you should treat your elders with respect you know. Seeing as I’m older than you now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Never have, never will,” Karma remarked with a smirk, “you ought to know by now that I don’t ever do things that I should. That’s what makes me so great.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aren’t I the lucky one?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma nodded before sobering up slightly, as if he just got hit by a thought, and turned to him with a look, “I do have another present for you, though.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Normally, the thought of Karma giving him something would fill him with slight weariness but the rare earnest expression that had found its way on the face of the boy that was always confident and care-free made the flame that kindled Nagisa’s heart begin to flare, “what is it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a deep breath, Karma reached into the inside of his pocket with one hand and took hold with one of Nagisa’s hands with the other. He positioned Nagisa’s hand so that his palm was facing upwards before dropping something cold and metallic on it. Nagisa brought his own hand in front of him to inspect the mystery gift before gasping. It was a small keychain with a picture of the exterior of the comic book store that Nagisa and Karma met each other in for the first time on that fateful day that their friendship began. Curling his fingers around it, Nagisa couldn’t help but wobbly whisper, “Karma…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just, I know it’s not much,” Karma looked so strange when he was embarrassed - that uncomfortable expression looked wrong and out of place on someone like him, who was always so sure of himself and his abilities. Nagisa couldn’t help but melt at the way the red head rubbed the back of his neck, feeling himself falling for the boy all over again due to the fact that he, Shiota Nagisa of 3-E, was able to make the so-called devil incarnate blush in such an endearing way, that Karma allowed himself to be vulnerable and insecure in front of someone that he could probably break the spine of with two fingers, “it’s just that, well, when I think about you and how you make me feel, I just - I - god, I’m really bad at this. It’s just that everyday, whenever I realise that I’m dating you, I just can’t believe how lucky I am that I ran into all those years ago and how lucky I am that someone as sweet and kind and good as you saw something in someone like me that made you want to be friends with me and yeah.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love it,” Nagisa breathed, noticing Karma’s annoyance at his own anti-climatic speech, he knew that the redhead found it hard to convey his own emotions, found it hard to lay himself bare and raw in front of another person, but with Nagisa he tried and that was enough, “I love it so much. Thank you, Karma. Thank you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Without another word, Nagisa threw his arms around Karma, toppling the two of them over with the eagerness in the forceful way he slung himself. Once Karma’s back hit the soft grass, Nagisa nestled his head in the crook of the other’s neck, taking a deep breath before lifting it up slightly and planting a sweet kiss on the taller boy’s cheek with a smile. Karma’s eyes widened as he shifted so that he could get more comfortable, looking up at the bluenette in delayed surprise. With a laugh, Karma brought one hand around the smaller boy’s waist and another to tenderly brush away his fringe, “well, I’m glad you like it so much.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa’s eyes light up, putting all of the stars in the galaxy to shame with their entrancing brightness, “I’m glad that you’re glad. By the way, do you think you could let go of me? My arms are starting to ache.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once the blue-haired boy was able to free his arms, he rolled off of Karma and, ignoring the whine the other gave at the loss of contact, laid down next to him. Karma turned around so that the two of them were directly facing each other. Neither of them uttered a word as they basked in each other’s presence, taking in every feature the other’s body had displayed with a smile that only they could interpret. In times like these it was easy to forget everything - that they were not only junior high students but also assassins with their teacher as their target, that they were teenagers who were outcasts but also given the mission to save the world, that at the end of the day the Earth was one day closer to getting blown up - because instead of thinking of the future, every thought running through their heads was about here and now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Happy birthday, Nagisa,” Karma whispered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Karma,” Nagisa replied with a soft voice before turning over and looking face-up at the sky, “the stars sure are beautiful tonight.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They sure are,” Karma said, not taking his eyes off of the boy in front of him.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<em>
    <span>‘Shiota Nagisa’</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Karma thought,</span>
  <em>
    <span> ‘give me a few years and your next birthday present will be my family’s name.’</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Of Fountains And Laughter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Another Nagisa birthday fic!</p><p>Pairing: Sugino x Nagisa (romantic or platonic)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Nagisa and Sugino walked together along the cobblestone path that ran through the park, their enclasped hands swinging in tandem with every synchronised step they took. </span>
  <span>The two of them were strolling through a park, which, in Nagisa’s opinion was the best way to end the best birthday ever. He still couldn’t help but tear up when he found out that the whole class had gotten together and had taken time out of their own lives to celebrate his birthday with him. He was so lucky to be surrounded by such caring and loving classmates that genuinely wanted to be around him. All of his life, he was treated like a second thought - he was the son his mother never wanted, the child his father couldn’t try harder to be around, the friend that drove Karma away - but for some reason there is an entire class of people who consider him someone to be celebrated and he’s never been more grateful for them and for dropping down to the hated E Class. As he and Sugino were on their way to Sugino’s house when the best birthday party Nagisa had ever attended was over, to start their sleepover, Nagisa’s eyes caught sight of the park entrance. Once Sugino had followed his line of vision, he asked if he wanted to check it out, seeing as they had around two hours before his parents expected the both of them. At Nagisa’s enthusiastic agreement, the two of them were happy to find the park deserted as they ran around, stopping only once so that they could play on the swingset. When the two of them had decided to retreat back to their original path to Sugino’s home, the sun had just about set and night was closing in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So I was thinking,” Sugino said, “we could either watch a movie on Netflix or binge another sports drama together. We could even have some of the leftover ice cream if my brother hadn’t eaten all of it by now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine with anything,” Nagisa replied, “I like movies and it’s also really fun to see you get all excited when we watch those baseball shows.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, we’ll just decide when we get home. Hopefully the little terror would leave us alone.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sugino, he’s your brother.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I know and I love him but he just gets so annoying when I bring you around. I don’t get why he always wants to tag along with us.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s nine. Besides, I don’t mind. He doesn’t bother me. I find it cute that he likes to hang out with us.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Honestly, I think he’s there more for you than me. I don’t know how you do it but he even cleaned his room when he found out that you were staying over. He doesn't even pick his things up when mom tells him to, she normally has to threaten to ground him until he does.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Really, that’s so sweet.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, well it’s not like you’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> best friend,” Sugino grumbled in annoyance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nagisa rolled his eyes in amusement, a fond smile playing on his lips. He really loved the Sugino family. Every single one of them treated him like he was a part of them, making sure to ask how he was doing, if he was alright, if he wanted anything and always welcoming him with open arms. It was no wonder that his classmate turned out so kind-hearted since he was surrounded by family members that were always smiling and weren’t afraid to show their genuine affection to each other. He was just about to comment on Sugino’s statement when something caught his eye.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” he said nodding his head towards an area behind Sugino’s back, “check out those fountains.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Turning around, Sugino was greeted by the sight of multiple gushes of water erupting out of the ground, ascending and descending in synchrony with each other. At the base of each mini-geyser was a mini-light that would gradually change shade from one colour of the rainbow to the next, causing each burst of water to look like a technicolour volcano against the contrast of the darkness of the atmosphere.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on,” Nagisa giggled as he pulled on Sugino’s hand gently, encouraging him to follow him towards the block of cement that the fountains were emerging from, “let’s go check it out.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sugino let Nagisa drag him, only stopping when they were so close to the perimeter of the fountain floor that he could feel specks of water splash against his face and shirt, “woah, woah, wait. Are you suggesting that we go in?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa looked sheepish as his face blushed, “well, it’s just that I saw kids come and play in places like this a lot when I was younger and I thought it might be fun to do it. With you, I mean. We don’t have to if you don’t want to. I’m so sorry, Sugino, I should’ve asked instead of dragging you here. I just got so excited when I saw them that-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Sugino smiled in reassurance, squeezing the hand that was still holding Nagisa’s, “I’m not mad or anything. Just surprised. I never took you for the type to run around in water.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just don’t like doing it in public, you know,” Nagisa said, looking down, “I feel like I would get judged if I act so childishly, you see. I already look like an Elementary Schooler, I don’t want people to think I actually am one. But if I’m with you, well, I know that you won’t think I’m anything that I’m not.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sugino could hear the gratitude that was interwoven in Nagisa’s words. As much as the blue-haired boy tried to hide it with smiles and laughter, Sugino knew that he was very self-conscious and insecure about his childish, feminine appearance and so for him to say that Sugino made him feel comfortable enough to not have to worry about his insecurities coming true meant the world to him. Sure, he would need to try harder to convince his kind-hearted best friend that he’s worth more than he thinks and that his looks shouldn’t matter but the journey of self-positivity is a long one - one that Sugino would not mind taking even if it lasted for the rest of his life. He was already planning on doing this uncharacteristically silly bit of fun with him anyway, but hearing those words that caused his stomach to fill with a pleasant fuzzy warmth and a fond smile to make its way across his lips had definitely sealed the deal, “so what are we waiting for then?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa yelped as Sugino ran into the middle of the fountains, swinging Nagisa’s body so that he could take hold of the other hand. All at once, water spurted up in long colourful columns that went past their heads. With a wide smile, Sugino spun Nagisa around, crashing him into the wet pillars and taking delight in the way the other’s shocked eyes lit up with unadulterated happiness. Laughing at the increasing momentum acting on his body, Nagisa pulled as well, managing to get his taller companion twirling around as well. They probably looked like a couple of crazy people: spinning around and laughing, completely drenched from head to toe, all by themselves in this abandoned park late in the evening. Once the two of them had gotten too dizzy and had stopped whirling around like human tornadoes, they let go of their hands. Then, without a word, Nagisa swiped his hand across a gush of water, sending a splash of it right at Sugino’s face. Throwing his head back and erupting into a flurry of giggles at Sugino, who was now the startled one, Nagisa sprinted to a corner of the rectangle of stone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Sugino shouted, chasing after him with a laugh, “get back here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately for him, Nagisa was the best at sneak attacks for a reason; by the time he had covered the distance between them Nagisa had vanished, slipping in through the small intervals between the fountains as quickly and stealthily as a viper and using the water as a cloak to hide against. Every time the water would descend the back into the ground and Sugino would see the bluenette standing somewhere and then once the floor would erupt like polychromatic volcanoes of water, he would have gone somewhere completely different undetected, his mischievous chuckles - as well as the occasional gentle shoves that would push him directly into a gush of water - being the only indication that he was still there. After the fourth attempt of trying to get revenge on his shorter friend, he felt two slender arms gently hug him from behind and a soaking wet head rest against the curve of his back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Nagisa whispered, “for doing this with me. Thank you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Any time,” Sugino smiled, turning around so that he can hug Nagisa back, “and you don’t need to thank me for wanting to spend time with you. I enjoy doing that anyway.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The joy that was radiating off of Nagisa’s face was blinding and Sugino found it infectious. He loved seeing the other teenager like this, unrestrained and carefree, unlike the too careful, shy and held-back way he would act in class, where he’s too worried about doing something wrong or that would inconvenience someone or hurt them. Like this, with his hair dripping and hanging limply, sticking against his pale skin, blue eyes illuminating both with the natural light of happiness inside them and because of the way they would catch with the light emitting from the floor, he looked like a regular teenager that had just done something something completely ridiculous just for the sake of it and enjoyed every single second of it - and Sugino was the one lucky enough to do it with him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Happy Birthday Nagisa,” Sugino said, internally thinking,<em> ‘and thank you for being the best friend I could ever ask for.’</em></span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. ‘Cause You Had A Bad Day (You’re Taking One Down)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Pairing: Nagisa x 3-E (platonic)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Today was not Nagisa’s day. Not at all.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It all started when he woke up that morning feeling like he had been hit by a freight train that was coming at him at full speed. Groggily, he blinked open his eyes to find his forehead covered in a glistening sheen of sweat covering his forehead and a giant boulder that he could not see had him pinned down onto his bed. With strenuous effort, he had rolled over, planted his feet onto his bedroom floor and clutched onto his bedside table to help him stand up - and then almost fell over backwards because of how his head spun from the movement. He had dragged his feet towards his bathroom and his reflection in the mirror above the sink would’ve made him gasp if it weren’t for the woodpecker drilling in his cranium and the raw scratchiness of his throat. His normally porcelain white face was flushed pink and his eyes lacked their usual brightness. Oh god, of all days for him to get a fever, it had to be on the day they had an English test. Well, at least it was Friday so he’ll have the whole weekend to sleep it off. He was then overcome by a feeling of dread as he threw himself before his commode, retching and emptying out the contents of his stomach - which already felt unnaturally empty to begin with. Groaning in despair, he fumbled an arm above him to flush the toilet and flip down the lid so that he could rest his head on it’s cooler surface as he breathed deeply.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>This is the worst</span>
  </em>
  <span>,’ he lamented, noticing how his body was currently shivering despite the heat of the early morning sun, ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>completely defeated by a stupid fever. And I’m supposed to be a trained assassin. How the hell am I supposed to kill Koro-Sensei if I can’t even stand up properly or think straight</span>
  </em>
  <span>.’ With a hefty sigh, he pushed himself upwards, blinking rapidly as he waved his arms about to steady his shaking legs. </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘I bet Karasuma-Sensei doesn’t let something as small as an illness stop him from doing what he does. That man has like no chinks at all. I can’t afford to skip, not with my grades. If I don’t want to let him and everyone else down, I’ve got to act as normally as possible. I’ll be a liability if my sickness drags me down and the last thing I want is to burden my classmates. An assassin should be able to overcome anything and shouldn’t get in the way so that’s what I’ll do. Hopefully, it’ll get better later.</span>
  </em>
  <span>’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once he had dressed himself in his usual school clothes and tied his hair into his usual pigtails, he slung his bag over his shoulder and headed off to school, choosing to skip breakfast and not pack himself lunch with the hope that the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach would die down if he didn’t eat anything. What followed was what Nagisa would describe as the worst walk to school he had ever undergone in his entire life: his throat was dry, tongue parched, body weak and every noise he heard only amplified the throbbing in his head. His insulating clothing felt suffocating, his black tie practically holding his neck in a choke hold, and he knew the heat he felt radiating off of him wasn’t due to the fact that it was nearing summer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Nagisa,” Sugino called, somehow materialising out of nothing, “what’s up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa tried not to jump from shock. Normally he would’ve been able to hear his best friend from a mile away, would’ve been able to discern the tell-tale thuds of the taller boy’s favourite sneakers against the concrete and sense his presence before he could’ve said a word. It was common knowledge in their so-called ‘Assassination Classroom’ that sneaking up on Nagisa is about as difficult as getting Fuwa to go twenty-four hours without referencing a manga - his ability to observe his surroundings and everyone in them was one of the few things he was actually good at. To make up for his current lack of observational skills and his tinted complexion he hastily threw on a smile and greeted, “Oh, hey Sugino. Nothing much. How are you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sugino narrowed his eyes at the shorter boy as Nagisa mentally congratulated himself for stringing those words out coherently. With a raised eyebrow, he replied slowly, “I’m fine, thanks. Are - are you okay, dude.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course I am,” he laughed, somewhat nervously, “why wouldn’t I be?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You look a bit… tired.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am,” he sighed, “I stayed up a bit late to study for that test we have today. I guess I was kind of pushing it with my sleeping hours, huh.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sugino looked at him for a second before stating, “sure.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sensing that Sugino was going to probe into something that he really didn’t want to discuss right now (or ever), he continued, “hopefully I studied enough. I mean English is my best subject so I’m hoping for at least an eighty-five percent.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sceptical look was washed off of his best friend’s face as his features softened into the usual fond smile he wears around the bluenette, “I’m sure you’ll ace it, man. I know how hard you work. You’ve just got to watch out for those spelling errors, right.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right,” Nagisa echoed with a half-authentic grin, whilst in his mind he castigated, </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘you can’t let your guard down like that, idiot. You saw the way Sugino looked at you. You’ve got to get better at hiding this before you inconvenience the entire class and mess up their day. God, mom was right - I really am a burden. Just spend the rest of the day like nothing’s wrong and hopefully this will go down.</span>
  </em>
  <span>’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately for him, his pain only got worse and every step up the E-Class mountain made him feel like his calf bones were being split open. It was a considerable effort for him to remain upright as he conversed with Sugino, and his sweat-slicken body made his shirt stick to his skin in the most uncomfortable way possible. His muscles were screaming at him, begging him to stop what he was doing and to just collapse into a heap on the forest floor but he continued to trudge along the path towards the classroom at the top. He could do this. He’s used to hiding his emotions. He’s spent years mastering the art of concealing what he truly felt, surely he could last seven hours - even if they were under the watchful eye of a superpowered octopus, a government agent, one of the world’s top assassins and twenty-six assassins in training.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Upon entering the classroom, he gave his usual greetings, whilst narrowly avoiding any direct contact with any of his classmates lest they feel his unnaturally high body temperature, before slumping onto his seat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hiya, Nagisa,” Kayano chirped, as bubbly as always, “how are you doing?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa looked up and hoped that the weak smile he gave her did not resemble a grimace at all, “I’m fine, thanks. How are-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was interrupted by a smooth voice, “you sure about that, Nagisa? ‘Cause you’re looking a little on the red side.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He swiveled his head around and immediately regretted that particular action as his migraine worsened. Karma, who was standing next to Kayano on the adjacent side of his desk, had on his signature smirk but the look in his eyes was calculating. He huffed out a laugh, “I’m fine, Karma.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Really?” the redhead raised an eyebrow, “because you look like the walking dead.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just didn’t get enough sleep last night, that’s all,” Nagisa argued, tone a tad bit on the defensive side, “I was so caught up in studying for today’s test that I only got like five hours.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not good, Nagisa,” Kayano admonished with a gasp, “you need to take better care of yourself, you know. Studying is important but so is your health.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I know,” Nagisa mumbled with his head down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Great, it’s only been like two minutes and I’m already making them worry.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Besides,” Nakamura chimed in with a grin, “you’re great at English. You were one mark away from me in the last test we took so you shouldn’t worry so badly.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s what I told him,” Sugino said, “but he’s Nagisa. He just has to worry about something.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They all traded fond looks as Nagisa let out nervous chuckles. It was then that his stomach constricted sharply. He quickly excused himself with a squeak of ‘bathroom’ before fleeing the classroom, unaware of the narrowed golden eyes that followed him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once he was locked within the cubicle of the building’s lavatory, he was quick to once again empty out the contents of his stomach, thanking every deity out there that he arrived early so his discordant gagging wouldn’t have been heard by their teacher with his enhanced senses. It was then a lightbulb when off in his head as he mentally slammed a palm against his forehead. Zipping open his schoolbag, he fumbled inside before drawing out a bright red first aid kit. With a sigh of relief, he opened it and grabbed a bottle of ibuprofen but then his hope dissipated when he capsized it to find it empty. Oh, right, he gave the last few pills to Okano the other day when she was complaining about her menstrual cramps and he forgot to go to the pharmacy to buy more. </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘Dammit, Shiota. What if someone else needed those. Your classmates could be in pain and you would’ve been useless in helping them.’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>Despairing at his fate, he flushed, got up, washed his hands and made his way back to his classroom, wrapping his arms around himself to hide his shivering.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Entering the room again, he was met with concerned looks from his peers. Giving them a comforting smile, he walked as confidently as he could with the little energy he had back to his desk, ignoring the eyes that he felt on him. Luckily for him, before anyone could speak, they all felt a gush of wind whoosh through the classroom and in a blink of an eye, their homeroom teacher stood before them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good morning, students,” he called out cheerfully, “I hope you all are ready for your test today. I know that it’s the last day of the week but I’m sure that each of you will be able to power through. Now, I can see that everyone is present but why don’t I take the register anyways as you boys and girls try to kill me, alright? It will be a perfect warm-up exercise to get you all pumped for the day.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And with that, their class’ school day began as it always does; with Koro-Sensei holding the register and calling out names whilst dodging bullets at Mach 20. Even in extreme agony and lethargy, Nagisa could only find amusement in that as he aimed and fired, whilst simultaneously doing all he could to not let the abnormally heavy gun slip from his grasp. When roll call was over, he could only tell that his fever was getting worse as he was hunching down to grab the stray anti-sensei bbs that lay littered on the floor. He knew that he should probably tell Koro-Sensei that he wasn’t feeling well, that he could use some medicine that he knew that the octopus could get in less than a nano-second but doing so would draw attention and alert the others and then everyone will know how weak he is, how he can’t handle his own immune system, how he is unfit to be an assassin. Or even worse, they’ll be concerned;  they’ll fret and worry over him and lose focus, make mistakes that could cost them, their billion dollar yen and the fate of the Earth. He could ruin everything. So it’s best to keep quiet. Even when his throbbing head feels like shutting down and his skin is on fire and there's enough sweat covering his body to water the tulips in the E-Class garden.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Fortunately, he was able to complete the test to the best of his ability. It was a comprehension assessment and it wasn’t too challenging for him, which was good because he was able to put more effort in keeping his head up than he planned to. Unfortunately, however, his theory of the fever getting better was horribly horribly wrong. If anything, it became worse, if that was even possible: His stomach twisted sporadically every time he took a breath, the cave of his mouth and the empty vessel of his oesophagus stung like they had been rubbed raw and so every painful swallow only increased their pleas for water (he had finished his bottle and he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> going to be asking to borrow anyone else’s), he could feel the build-up of perspiration along the outline of his shirt under his arms (he was so glad that he wore a dark waistcoat to school) and he could see the way his hands would shake no matter how hard he tried to suppress them. It was already the second period of his five-period school day and so all he had to do was last three more lessons and he can go home and hibernate for the rest of the week. He had no idea how he was going to survive Physical Education with the military training exercises that Karasuma had them doing for the past three days. He hoped and prayed that they wouldn't be sparing because that would require contact and fast moves and there’s no way he’d be able to hide anything then.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn’t have to wait that long, however, because he was found out by period three.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After spending their break acting as normal as possible without drawing attention to the way every single cell inside him ached and groaned as well as the fact that he was without his usual breaktime snack, he walked into the classroom, ready for their science lesson. Today they were going to do a practical (something about reactions or something, honestly he couldn’t concentrate at all at this moment because his mind was so hazy and he was currently too busy trying not to cry). He turned to Sugino, his regular partner in science, before Karma swiftly walked in between them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yo, Nagisa,” he said, “wanna be partners.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa blinked at him before looking around him to meet Sugino’s eyes. The baseball lover only shrugged and then walked away to pair up with Kanzaki. With the way he and the redhead shared eye contact as he left, Nagisa was sure that the two of them were planning something for once the twisting of his gut was not due to his current affliction.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uhh, sure,” Nagisa agreed, half because he has a problem with saying no and half because he was sure that even if he did refuse, Karma would still pair up with him anyway.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Great,” the taller boy grinned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As soon as the class had set up the apparatus and began their experiment his conjecture was confirmed as Karma had stated, “so what’s with you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa almost dropped the textbook he was holding, “huh.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The other boy scoffed, “don’t play dumb, Nagisa. There’s something wrong.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s nothing wrong, Karma.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh really. Then explain why you didn’t eat anything during break today-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t hungry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“-Or why you look like you’re about to keel over any second.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I told you. I stayed up too late.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“- Or what that little trip to the bathroom was for.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I had to use the bathroom like any other normal person. I didn’t realise that I had to tell you the purpose of everywhere I go. And what’s with all of the questions?” Nagisa didn’t mean to sound so defensive or snappy, not to one of his best friends who he knows is only looking out for him. He knows that that’s how Karma is; whilst Nagisa approaches problems with caution and care, the redhead goes on with a complete offensive attack - assaulting with blunt words and hard facts to break you down. He doesn’t believe in the roundabout way, he’s always direct and wants things done at the time. His ability to get what he wants is one of the qualities in the other boy that Nagisa admired, but right now it was a pain in the neck. He felt cornered and trapped and something inside him, the viper he could feel curling around in his unconscious, was ready to lash out and bite and that’s the last thing he wanted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, no need for that tone,” Karma held up his hands, “I was just asking. There’s no harm in that, right.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa let out a sigh, “you’re right. I’m sorry for snapping. It’s just that I really just want to get on with this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I still think you’re hiding something.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Karma, I’m trying to read the instructions. You’re kind of distracting me.” (it’s not like he was able to read the words anyway, they all seemed to blur into one big smudge of dancing black on the page)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why can’t you just say what’s wrong. What’s the big deal.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Karma.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just go ahead and say it, Nagisa. What are you so afraid of.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I - I,” he sighed wearily, dropping his shoulders, “I should get another test tube. We’re missing one for the experiment.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nagisa,” he could hear Karma calling him but he ignored it as he speed walked to the front desk to grab another piece of apparatus. It was on his way back that he could feel his stomach give a lurch. His heart was racing as the pain in his head had reached a new intensity. His stomach dropped and he felt apprehension crash over him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Oh no,’ he thought as his hands began to shake.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His surroundings started to lose focus. The floor was swaying under his feet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No, no. Not now. Not in front of everyone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His head felt light. So </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> very light.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Come on Nagisa, one more step,</span>
  </em>
  <span>’ he urged before his eyes rolled. He could faintly hear the sound of glass breaking and horrified shouts of his name before the world went dark.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first thing Nagisa noticed when he came to was that this was not his bedroom. His eyes opened after steady blinks, and the first thing he found himself facing was a blur of different colours that he was sure didn’t belong in his house. Once his eyes adjusted themselves and focused properly, he recognised it as a notice board with lots of paper pinned onto the multicoloured backdrop. Then he realised that his forehead was covered with cold water, probably from the ice pack that he found lying on the floor next to him. It was when he heard the soft clicks of a computer’s keyboard that he registered that he was in the teachers’ lounge. With a gasp, he sat up on the row of chairs that had been pushed together to form a makeshift bed, the softness under his palms made him realise that a pile of blankets were thrown on to make him more comfortable. Karasuma, who was the one that was using the computer, turned around on his chair to face him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nagisa, you’re up. How are you doing,” he asked as he stood up and walked towards him with a bottle of water, “we were all very worried.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uhh,” was his coherent reply.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here, this will make you feel better,” the man said, holding out the bottle as well as a small white tablet. When Nagisa reached out to grab them, he found that his right hand was wrapped around in a bandage. He blinked at it in shock, “when you fainted, your hand landed on some glass. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll inform your classmates and the target that you’re up and I’ll be right back.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa watched as Karasuma left, and continued to observe the door for a few seconds before looking down at the uncapped bottle. He threw his head back and downed it hurriedly, yearning to relieve the pain in his throat. It didn’t do much since he still felt like just begging god to just finish the job and get it over and done with but he appreciated it regardless.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“OH NAGISA, I WAS SO WORRIED!” Koro-Sensei wailed as he appeared before him with medicine boxes, books on fevers, and five bottles of water, “WHAT A TERRIBLE SENSEI I AM TO BE UNAWARE OF MY STUDENT’S SUFFERING. THE SHAME. AH, I HOPE YOU CAN FORGIVE ME FOR BEING SO CARELESS.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Koro-Sensei, please,” Nagisa said, “it’s not your fault. I was hiding it because I didn't want anyone to know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bu-but why,” his teacher asked, sniffling, “as your teacher, it’s important for me to be aware if you’re not feeling well. OR AM I NOT APPROACHABLE ENOUGH FOR YOU TO UNLOAD YOUR WORRIES?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, no,” he replied quickly, “I just - I just don’t like people knowing when I’m not feeling well, that’s all.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The octopus paused. Slowly he said, “why’s that Nagisa? Do you think that your classmates will treat you any differently if they knew?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa looked down and mumbled, “it’s - it’s just that. Well, we’re supposed to be assassins, Sir. I don’t think trained killers let themselves fall back just because they’re not well.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nagisa,” Koro-Sensei’s voice was stern but still held his kind and gentle tone, “you are a valuable member of this class. Every single one of your peers consider you an asset, an ally and a friend. We all look after each other here. We are all striving towards the same goal. Together. As students and as assassins, an important aspect of life is to be able to work as a team. To carry on through your strongest and lift each other up at your weakest. I see you looking out for others. Why won’t you let others look out for you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just didn’t want to be a burden, “ Nagisa whispered, “I thought I could deal with it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nagisa, you are not a burden. You have a burden. A burden that you have no need to carry on our own. I know this may seem difficult to you, but please: next time you find yourself in a situation where you can ask for help, don’t be afraid to.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa looked up and despite the wide smile on his teacher’s face, he knew that the octopus was serious. He nodded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wonderful,” Koro-Sensei beamed and clapped his hands, “now, I’m sure that the others would want to see you so I’m not going to keep them waiting any longer.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“About time,” Karma said as he walked in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Were you there the whole time?” Nagisa asked as Koro-Sensei gasped theatrically.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Karma, I thought I told you to wait in the classroom.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know,” Karma smirked, pulling up a chair and sitting on it, “but the thing is that I didn’t want to.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“WHY DO YOU NEVER LISTEN TO ME!?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uhh, Sir?” Nakamura popped her head in, “are you going to leave or not because the rest of us are waiting.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a cry of despair, the teacher left the room. Nagisa turned to face Karma.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-,” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You okay,” Karma asked, cutting through the apology that Nagisa had at his throat, “and don’t you dare lie.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been better.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“God, Nagisa. Why did you try to hide this? You scared the c**p out of everyone. It would've been funny to see Terasaka lose his s*** if it weren’t for the fact that you were lying on the floor, bleeding and not responding to anyone. Did you know that you had a temperature of 40</span>
  <span>°C?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, Karma. I didn’t want everyone to freak out, I swear, that’s kind of the reason why I didn’t tell you guys anything. I just -” he was cut off as his migraine increased and his stomach flipped. His wince and groan of agony made Karma’s eyebrows furrow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You good? Do you want to rest more?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I - yeah. I think that might be best.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright then,” Karma pulled out his phone and began scrolling through it, “rest all you want. I’ll make sure no one comes to bother you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rest of the day continued with his classmates coming to check on him, even after school was over: Sugaya had made an A3 sized get well soon card and the entire class had signed it, Fuwa decided to help him go to sleep by reading a manga to him like a bedtime story, Sugino and Kayano berated him for hiding his illness before hugging him, Hara offered him some soup to help him feel better, Hazama offered to use a spell to ‘expel the sickness and other evil entities’ from his body (he was quick to decline that), most of the girls were fussing and doting over their ‘kind of little brother’ and were quick to do whatever he wanted to help him get better (especially Yada, who actually had experience with looking after her sick younger brother) whilst the boys tried to cheer him up with funny anecdotes. When it was time to return home, Karma and Sugino took turns in carrying him down the mountain and to his apartment (ignoring his protests and reminders that they would get sick), even going as far as to tuck him in and place a bottle of ibuprofen on the bedside table. They left with promises of returning the next day to make sure that he was taking care of himself and as they did, Nagisa couldn’t help but be glad that he had such loving classmates.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Drabble Dump</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This is just a chapter where I'm gonna post the small ficlets I post on Tumblr</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Karmagisa: A Show Of Strength</strong>
</p><p>“Alright,” Karma smirked when Nagisa plopped himself directly opposite him on the other side of his folding table, “you ready for this, Nagisa?”</p><p>Nagisa’s eyes filled with resolution, “as I’ll ever be.”</p><p>“I hope you know that I won’t be going easy on you just ‘cause we’re dating.”</p><p>The other boy smiled pleasantly, “I wouldn’t dream of it, Karma.”</p><p>The two teenagers then placed their elbows on the surface of the table before grasping the others hand. On the word ‘go’, Nagisa used all the strength he had to try to get Karma’s hand to move down whilst the red head just sat there perfectly still, watching with obvious amusement as the bluenette’s cheeks became pink with exertion. Taking delight in the way Nagisa’s face adorably scrunched as he attempted to increase the force on his hand, Karma just let out a fake yawn then snickered when Nagisa whipped his head towards him to display his indignant expression. To be honest, he could’ve won this little game from the start but watching the shorter boy try his hardest to win was just too good of an opportunity to pass up – it’s certainly interesting how the same person who made Takaoka scream and cry in terror is the same person who can just barely carry half his body weight. His smug look faltered when he caught Nagisa’s eyes again, just barely catching the flash of blue irises before he felt a mouth press firmly against his. He froze for a barely a second but that was all his opponent needed as the blue-haired little assassin-in-training coiled another arm around his neck, bringing their faces closer together, making his head spin and his body float and-</p><p>BAM</p><p>Nagisa leaned back with a self-satisfied innocent smile when Karma felt his arm bang backwards against the table. He was still trying to get his bearings when Nagisa beamed with a giggle, “I win.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Sugino x Nagisa: Sunflowers</strong>
</p><p>“Hey, Sugino,” Nagisa called out as he jogged towards the dark-haired boy, who was on his way to the classroom.</p><p>“Oh, hey Nagisa. How have you been?” Sugino smiled, but Nagisa – being the incredible people reader he was – could easily detect the sadness that his best friend was attempting to mask. He couldn’t blame him for being upset and trying to hide it since he was there when Shindo had all but challenged 3-E’s resident baseball enthusiast, taunting him and reminding them that although they were training to be hardcore killers, they were still seen as the school outcasts, worse than the lowest of the low. It deeply saddened Nagisa to find Sugino sound so dejected during class, for him to speak of his passion with a hopeless sense of defeat instead of the usual bright-eyed zeal that he displayed during their pitching practices after school – but then, just when the class thought that the fire that Sugino had for baseball had started to die out, the boy had lifted his head with determination and the flames that kindled his love for his favourite sport had reignited into a blazing inferno as he declared that he was not going to back down against the baseball team captain. However, as confident as his speech to their class was, it was clear that he still had a lot of doubts and insecurities about his own abilities as a sportsman, having previously played alongside their opponents, but he still went to their training lesson with a smile because as their expert on the game, he considered it his duty to keep morale up and not let his fears show.</p><p>“I’m fine thanks for asking,” Nagisa responded with a grin, as he shifted his arms behind his back, out of Sugino’s view, “so you ready for another day of baseball training?”</p><p>“As I’ll ever be,” Sugino huffed, but the corner of his lips had tilted upwards, “I’m excited to play but I’m also terrified to find out what Coach Koro has in store for us this time.”</p><p>“Yeah, Koro-Sensei does get really into character when he roleplays.”</p><p>“Hey Nagisa,” Sugino furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as he pointed towards the shorter male, “what’s that you got behind your back?”</p><p>Nagisa smiled and blushed, looking away as he replied, “just a present for you.”</p><p>“For me? Why? What is it?”</p><p>The light pink that had spread across Nagisa’s cheeks had darkened and the bluenette timidly held out a small bouquet of bright golden sunflowers, tied together with a thin yellow ribbon. Sugino just stared at them for a beat before feeling his own face heat up. Taking a glance at the other boy’s bashful expression – that was looking at the sidewalk beneath his feet like it held the secrets of the universe – he breathed out, “they’re lovely.”</p><p>Nagisa’s head whipped up to display his pleasantly surprised countenance, “you think so?”</p><p>“Yeah,” he tried to look reassuring despite his reddened face, “they look beautiful but - not that I don’t appreciate them or anything – what’s the occasion.”</p><p>“I pass by the florists on my way to meet up with you and they caught my attention,” was the soft reply, “I asked the lady at the desk and she told me that sunflowers can bring good luck and that they symbolise adoration and loyalty and I thought that maybe you could use a reminder.”</p><p>“A reminder?” Sugino asked in confusion, choosing not to look too much into the fact that Nagisa brought up adoration, “for what?”</p><p>“So that you know that you have nothing to worry about,” Nagisa smiled, “I know that you’re trying hard to prove yourself to Shindo and the other baseball cub members and even to yourself but even on the off-chance you fail – which will most definitely not happen by the way – we’re all here for you. Unlike the kid back at main campus, our loyalty to you isn’t dependant on your grades or how useful you are – we all admire and respect you not just because you’re an expert at baseball but because you’re our classmate and our friend and my best friend. You’ve always been a loyal friend to me and I want to show you how much I appreciate it. Sunflowers may be able to bring good luck, but I know that having you by our side, telling us what to do, we’ll beat the baseball club with our heads held high by our skill alone. Besides, sunflowers just look like really happy flowers and I thought with all of those things Shindo said to you, you could use a bit of extra happiness.”</p><p>Sugino stared at the by in front of him with his eyes brimming with tears, completely and utterly touched by his kind words, thinking what on earth had he done to deserve a friend as absolutely amazing as Shiota Nagisa. Belatedly, he realised that he had yet to accept the bunch of flowers that the other was still holding out in front of him so he carefully took them and gently placed them inside his school bag before turning to his twin-tailled peer, “thank you, Nagisa. Seriously. This is one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me. Like, no one’s ever given me flowers before.”</p><p>“It’s what you deserve,” Nagisa said, “now come on, let’s get to class. We’ve got a lot to learn before we crush your former team next week.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Karmagisa: Gingerbread Assassins</strong>
</p><p>“Hey, Hara,” Nagisa asked as he diligently worked on icing red lines on the gingerbread man’s arms to replicate Sugino’s wristbands, “would you mind passing me the white icing please?”</p><p>“Of course, Nagisa,” Hara, who was working on her own gingerbread Yoshida, replied as she handed him the small piping tube. It was near Christmas and the two of them were in their rundown 3-E building - of which its interior was transformed to resemble their Home Economics lessons - making gingerbread replicas of their classmates while their fellow students were having fun outside. They wanted to surprise their classmates so the two of them conspired to come to school late in the afternoon of the previous day - way past everyone had long gone - and spent about 30 minutes making the dough and leaving it in the refrigerator overnight. Then they used their break to decorate them using icing sugar for clothes and melted coloured white chocolate for hair after everyone had decided to run around the mountain once Koro-Sensei had declared that they could have the rest of the day off. </p><p>They were just about finished when they heard a cry of, “ohhh are those gingerbread cookies?”</p><p>Both Nagisa and Hara looked up to find the class congregated by the front door. Kurahashi, who was the one to ask the question earlier, had hearts in her eyes as she squealed on the spot, rocking herself on her heels.</p><p>“And are they for us,” Yada pointed at herself hopefully.</p><p>“Yep, they sure are,” Hara smiled, “come and see.”</p><p>Immediately they all raced over, taking a moment to gasp in awe at the gingerbread men that were laying on the baking trays.</p><p>“Hey,” Okano exclaimed, “they look like us!”</p><p>“Yeah, guys,” Nakamura added as she and a few others took pictures of the cookies, “excellent work on them. They look so good, I kind of feel guilty for wanting to eat them.”</p><p>“Best. Surprise. Ever!” Kimura said delightedly.</p><p>“My, my, Nagisa and Hara,” Koro-Sensei’s face was glowing pink as he drooled over the sight of the treats, “they all look sooo good. But it seems that I don’t have one”</p><p>“Don’t worry, Sir,” Hara giggled as she carefully held up an octopus shaped cookie that was decorated with black and yellow icing, “we did one for you as well. They don’t sell octopus shaped cookie cutters but my brothers have these beach toys they like to play with so I borrowed one of them.”</p><p>“Ohhh THANK YOU!” Koro-Sensei yelled in excitement before bursting into tears and dabbing his eyes with a handkerchief, “my my, I am so lucky to have such loving students.”</p><p>Choosing to ignore their melodramatic teacher, Maehara turned to Nagisa and punched him gently on his arm, “but real talk - it’s totally cool for you guys to do this. All 25 of them look amazing.”</p><p>“Wha-25?” Nagisa blanched and looked at the gingerbread men, “but there’s 26 of us in the class - well not including Ritsu.”</p><p>“KARMA, STOP!” Kayano yelled in horror, “YOU’RE EATING NAGISA!”</p><p>The whole class turned to look at the redhead in question, who at the moment looked like a cat that got the cream. He was smugly chewing on something and in his hand was a beheaded gingerbread man wearing a white shirt, grey trousers and dark blue waistcoat - all made of icing of course - before audibly swallowing and licking his lips with a smirk, “and he tastes delicious.”</p><p>“KARMA!” everyone yelled along with a red-faced, flustered Nagisa.</p><p>Karma merely laughed at Nagisa’s ruffled appearance, winking at him then sauntering over to the blunette. He leaned down and licked some icing that was on the other boy’s cheek and whispered into his ear, “<em>but nowhere near as sweet as the real thing</em>.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Karmagisa: Spider-Man Kiss</strong>
</p><p>“‘Sup, Nagi,” Karma called as he sauntered towards the base of the tree that Nagisa was sitting on with his hands in his pockets. It was currently lunch break and instead of spending it like he normally would with his friends near the classroom building at the top of the mountain, he decided that he would rather be alone. He wasn’t sad or annoyed or uncomfortable or anything, he just gets like that sometimes, when the loud atmosphere of his classmates was too much to handle so he’d rather find himself somewhere quiet where he could just sit and think. After excusing himself he made his way through the forest of the mountain, finding a random tree and climbing it so that he could sit on one of its branches. Karma, who was skipping the previous class, had found him during one of his own strolls along the forest. Nagisa’s back was facing the redhead, but he could recognise those confident footsteps anywhere.</p><p>“Hey, Karma.”</p><p>“You know Nagisa, it’s not very nice to not look at your boyfriend,” Karma smirked, “don’t you remember what B****-Sensei said about eye contact.”</p><p>With a roll of his eyes, Nagisa swung the upper-half of his body down backwards, so that he was upside down with his legs supporting him from where they were folded at the knee along the tree branch, “this better for you?”</p><p>Karma grinned, “much better.”</p><p>Due to Nagisa’s position and the height of the branch, the two of them were practically nose to nose. Karma’s eyes were directly in front of the other’s lips and right now they looked very <em>very</em> tempting.</p><p>“Hey, Karma,” Nagisa said in amusement when he noticed that his boyfriend’s focus was somewhere else, “my eyes are down here.”</p><p>“I know that Nagi,” Karma started matter-of-factly, “but I’ve made my choice.”</p><p>With gentle hands, Karma grabbed the sides of Nagisa’s head, each palm resting over his ears, and pulled the shorter boy closer while also taking a step towards him. Nagisa’s breath hitched when he felt the redhead’s lips touch his, the other barely applying the slightest of pressure.</p><p>“Are - are you trying to do the Spider-Man kiss?” Nagisa laughs, a little dizzy and light-headed at both their close proximity and the effect of gravity.</p><p>“Maybe,” Karma’s lips curl into their usual lazy grin against his, “don’t tell me you’ve never thought of it.”</p><p>The moment the last word left his mouth he closed his eyes and brought Nagisa even closer, their mouths slotting and pressing together the same way they always do despite their current unique position. Nagisa brought his own hands to Karma’s shoulders to steady himself as he could feel his thighs start to ache and his blood flow downwards. His head started to spin for more than one reason and whilst kissing his boyfriend in the most nerdy way possible was the current highlight of his day, he really needed to stop before he passed out all together. With what little strength he had, he patted Karma’s cheek in quick succession in a desperate attempt for the two of them to stop. Thankfully, Karma got the hint and pulled back, laughing at how the colour of Nagisa’s face was starting to rival his hair. The dazed expression on the blue-haired boy’s face was quickly replaced by an ‘oh no’ look as his legs gave out and lost their grip on the branch, causing him to fall down, right into Karma’s awaiting arms (thank you, quick reflexes).</p><p>“I always knew that you’ll fall for me,” Karma smirked, making Nagisa slap him half-heartedly with a weak glare, face still bright red, “we should try that again sometime.”</p><p>“Yeah, we should,” the other agreed. It was then that he noticed that he was still cradled in Karma’s hold bridal style and that his own arms had somehow snaked their way around the redhead’s shoulders. Blushing furiously, he looked away and muttered, “uhh, do you think you could put me down?”</p><p>The taller teenager made a noise indicating that he was thinking about it, “hmmm, no.”</p><p>“Wha - Karma!”</p><p>“Why should I? You look comfortable enough.”</p><p>“But we have class.”</p><p>“I’ll carry you there.”</p><p>“Wha - no way! Karma! KARMA! PUT ME DOWN, I SWEAR -”</p><p>Koro-Sensei got more photos to put in his student data book that day.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Bloodlust!Nagisa</strong>
</p><p>“You E-Class nobodies should know better than to show your face around here,” Seo Tomoya sneered, looking down at the other teenagers with contempt written all over his face.<b><br/></b></p><p>“Ha, please,” Araki scoffed with a smirk as Nakamura, Okano and Maehara gritted their teeth and rolled their eyes with obvious annoyance, “they’re in E-Class, Seo. As if they have the mental capacity to make good decisions.”</p><p>‘<em>Oh great, here we go again</em>,’ Nagisa thought as he watched the scene with caution. All he wanted was to study with his friends in the comfort of the main campus’ air-conditioned third year library. Isogai, being the responsible, caring class representative he is booked weeks beforehand so that about half of the class could spend their break studying for the mock assessments that Koro-Sensei had prepared for the following week and whilst Karma decided to skip (like usual) Hazama had managed to drag the rest of the Terasaka Gang along. They entered quietly, ignored the glares from the other students and huddled around two large tables near the back so really they were doing absolutely nothing to disrupt the peace. However, the Five (currently Four as their leader, Asano, wasn’t present) Virtuosos seemed to have some sort of receptors when it came to them because the moment they entered the room, their eyes narrowed and they strode up to them with the air of courtiers who thought they were the king’s best friend. ‘<em>Why is it that every time we try to do something nice, these guys show up?</em>’  </p><p>Maehara narrowed his eyes and smirked as he crossed his arms, “we might not be as smart as you but at least we’re not sour losers.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Nakamura added with a smug grin, “don’t tell us that you guys are still upset that us ‘E-Class nobodies’ completely demolished you in lacrosse and softball last week because honestly, it was only too easy.”</p><p>“Guys, please,” Isogai said uneasily to the two blondes, noting how everyone else in the library was observing them like they were the newest K-Drama episode. He turned to the four standing teenagers, “listen, I booked these two tables weeks in advance. We are nowhere near the seats that you told us were yours and we have not disturbed anyone since we came here so can you please leave us alone and let us study?”</p><p>Nagisa smiled, ‘<em>Isogai’s brilliant when it comes to being tactful. No wonder he’s our leader. He’s  definitely a good role model and I do aspire to be like him.</em>’</p><p>Araki glared at the Ikeman and Koyama scorned, “it’s just like you losers to start bragging at the slightest hint of victory. And start ordering us around like you’re better than us and the whole world revolves around you imbeciles. As if the rest of us care about what you lot do. Your entire class could go die in a ditch and not a single one of us would shed a tear. We could kill you right now and everyone here would be grateful that they would never have to see you again.”</p><p>Most of those who were members of 3-E glared at him whilst some gave him looks of disbelief. Terasaka looked like he was about to stand up and cause a fight when - </p><p>“<em>What was that?</em>”</p><p>Everyone stopped at the whispered words and turned towards the person that had spoken them, only to find Nagisa standing up with his palms flat on the polished table, either side of his English Language exercise book. The silence was deafening as all eyes were on the petite bluenette that stood directly opposite the A-Class students. His head was down, his light blue bangs covering his eyes and only the tiniest curve of his mouth could be seen. Slowly, he lifted his head so that his fringe shadowed his eyes and hard gaze was concentrated right on the Biology Club president, azure eyes gleaming.</p><p>“<em>Kill us?</em>” he spoke softly yet his words seemed to resonate within the library, shaking every occupant to their very core. A small smile played on his lips, oh so innocent-looking but oozing with threat, “<em>really, is that so? Well, come on then. I’d love to see you attempt to take my life. It’d make my day.</em>”</p><p>A mushroom cloud of fear exploded in the room, every single student felt the atmosphere grow heavier with the bloodlust that was coming off of the small boy in waves - it was like they were choking, suffocating on the blood-curdling aura that surrounded him. They were paralysed, goosebumps ran down their arms and every hair on their body was erect. The Four Virtuosos were shaking under his unblinking stare, under the blue eyes that burned ten times brighter than the roaring flame of a Bunsen Burner and held a hundred times the danger. Never before had any of them felt such raw fear before, as if they were standing in front of death itself. Koyama felt trapped, like somehow a black mamba had swiftly slithered up his body and was facing him about to pounce, eye’s glinting, mouth open and fangs as sharp as diamond. He could feel the scales wrapped around his throat, constricting with every shuddered breath he took, he could see the murderous eyes of a serpent glinting in the glowing irises of this schoolboy turned gorgon. He wanted to look away, to turn around and run as far as possible so no one could see him cry but the fright that invaded every cell in his body kept him standing in his spot. </p><p>‘<em>What the hell is this?</em>’ he wailed in his head, ‘<em>I’ve never felt such fear before in my life</em>.’</p><p>Nagisa’s own classmates were no better, eyes were filled with a form of horror that could rival that of a soldier’s as they watched the sweet, innocent boy that patched them up and made them laugh and cared for them get replaced by this.. this… bringer of death. Their breaths were caught in their throat and they could hear their heartbeats in their ears. None of them knew who this was and what he did to their Nagisa but they wanted him back, pronto. Nagisa, himself, had absolutely no idea of the effect he had on everyone else. All he knew was that the moment the word ‘kill’ had left the black-haired boy’s mouth, everything had stopped and a switch had been flipped in his brain. His surroundings blurred as he focused his attention on Koyama and the rest of Asano’s entourage, the word ‘kill’ playing over and over again in his head like a broken record, a mantra that seemed to release something inside him that he never knew existed. It was like a python was coiling around in his unconscious, chained and caged in the very depths of his soul, and that one word was the key that let it loose and allowed it to glide into the front of his mind, hissing with delight.</p><p>For a moment, nobody moved, nobody uttered a syllable until Sugino, who was sitting beside the bluenette. desperately grabbed at his waistcoat and began tugging and whispering, “Na-nag-nagisa.”</p><p>And just like that, the spell was broken and the aura of bloodlust popped like a bubble as Nagisa turned to face Sugino with his usual soft smile, “yeah, Sugino? Is everything okay?”</p><p>Around him, everyone released the breaths they were holding yet their hands couldn’t stop shaking and hearts couldn’t stop pounding. A few students fainted at the sudden lack of viscosity in the air while the others felt as if they would never be the same again.</p><p>“Yeah, everything’s fine,” Sugino answered, glad that his best friend was back to his usual self.</p><p>“We-we better g-ge-get going,” Ren told his friends.</p><p>“Ye-yeah,” Seo agreed, “Com-come on, Akari, Koyama.”</p><p>The four of them ran off, leaving the room with only one thought: Holy S*it.</p><p>“What’s going on?” Nagisa asked, looking around with wide eyes before tilting his head adorably, “why’s everyone looking at me like that.”</p><p>“Probably because you managed to scare off the A Class douchebags,” Maehara laughed, only a teensy bit uneasy.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Who is that?” Kasai Toyo from 3-B whispered to the classmate beside her.</p><p>“I don’t know,” he answered, “but remind me to never get on his bad side.”</p><p>She nodded.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Drabble Dump II</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Basorexia: Maeiso</b>
</p><p>“You know we should probably study,” Isogai’s soft voice murmured, “seeing as that was what we planned to do when I agreed to come here.”</p><p>Maehara hummed, smiling in contentment as he continued to card his long slender fingers through his boyfriend’s silken hickory locks, causing the shorter male to let out a blissful sigh. To be fair, studying was the initial plan. Once Koro-Sensei declared that he was going to be testing the class on an entire Social Studies unit, Maehara had begged suggested that they have a study session and Isogai Yuuma being the dear, sweet, kind, beautiful Ikeman of a boyfriend he is accepted (honestly, he had no idea what he did to deserve this literal Prince Charming of a man but he’s going to continue doing it because there’s no way in hell he’s ever letting him go). The thing is that halfway through quizzing each other on African Development, they decided it would be more comfortable to study if they sat on Maehara’s bed instead of on his hard bedroom floor which then led to Isogai laughing at Maehara getting tongue-tied which made Maehara hit him with a pillow which made Isogai retaliate by hitting him with another pillow which then caused a full out pillow fight between the two Junior High kids which then led to Maehara glomping Isogai in a hug and falling backwards so that his back hit his duvet which is how they found themselves in their current position: with Maehara lying on his back and Isogai on top of him, with his head resting on the golden-haired boy’s chest. Somewhere in the tranquil silence of Maehara’s bedroom, Maehara had started to pet the brunette strands that covered his boyfriend’s scalp with one hand as the other lay curled around the Representative’s waist whilst Isogai’s own hands had snaked themselves around the curve at the base of Maehara’s neck. The two of them just reposed their, listening to the sounds of each other’s soft exhales and quiet heartbeats as time continued to flow forward, all thoughts of school and studies completely out the window - or so Maehara thought.</p><p>“<em> Hiroto </em>,” Isogai said, half-stern half-fond. He lifted his head to look at the other teenager, lips curving into that slight smile that he only shows to him.</p><p>“Uggghh,” Maehara whined, throwing an arm over his eyes in melodrama, “do we have tooo?”</p><p>Isogai’s answering chuckle was low and melodious, it’s sound vibrated through the blonde’s school shirt, making his heart beat with a fervour that surpassed the time he attempted to beat Kimura’s record in one of Karasuma-Sensei’s drills. It was almost pathetic how hard he had fallen for the boy in front of him, how his head reels with euphoria everytime he sees a notification that Isogai had texted him, how his mouth can’t hide the sappy grin it automatically does whenever Isogai does something so mundanely normal like press the back tip of his pen to the skin at the corner of his mouth as he purses his lips in thought or how he always brushes his clothes off whenever he stands up even when he was nowhere near any dirt or dust, how he would move mountains or steal the moon from the sky or even stand in front of an angry Kataoka if Isogai so wished, how has surrendered every last weakness to the boy that he had given his heart to and he would surrender even more if it meant that he would continue to stay by his side. “Come <em> on </em>, Hiroto. We have a test in a week.”</p><p>Maehara groaned, “But Yuuma, I can’t study. I’m <em> sick </em>.”</p><p>“You are?” Isogai asked in amusement as he placed the back of his hand against the blonde’s forehead, sending tingles of giddiness to the blonde in question, “you seem alright.”</p><p>“No, no, Yuuma. You don’t understand. I’ve come down with a terrible illness. It’s called-” Maehara then rolled over slightly to swipe up his phone that lay discarded on his bedside table and deftly opened it “-<em> basorexia </em>.”</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Isogai laughed, golden-brown eyes bright with mirth, “<em> what? </em>”</p><p>“Basorexia,” Maehara answered gravely with a solemn expression, “it’s the overwhelming urge to kiss someone and if I’m not cured I could die.”</p><p>“Oh really? Is it that serious?”</p><p>“Deadly.”</p><p>“Well we can’t have you dying now can we?” Isogai smiled, “I suppose I should administer the proper treatment if I want you to get better.”</p><p>“Well, I would hope so, seeing as I’m your boyfriend and you love me and all.”</p><p>“Really? Says who?”</p><p>“You, If I recall the events that took place against that tree in the E-Class forest correc-OW what was that for?” Maehara yelped in pain as a red-faced Isogai flicked him on the cheek.</p><p>“For being cheeky.”</p><p>“I can’t believe this. I’m sick and dying and instead of showering me with care and affection, my boyfriend is inflicting harm.”</p><p>Isogai rolled his eyes before cupping Maehara’s cheek with a hand and leaning down to press their lips together in a short sweet kiss that tasted of the cinnamon rolls that the two had shared earlier. Maehara wrapped his arms around Isogai’s neck and brought his head up so that he could push the two of them even closer together and he could feel the pad of Isogai’s thumb rubbing circles on the area that he had flicked him on. Their kiss had ended about as soon as it began but that didn’t mean that even something as chaste as this couldn’t make Maehara’s heart leap and his head soar. The backdrop faded into a blur of meaningless nothing as the only thing he could see was the beaming boy in front of him, with his flushed cheeks, soul-snatching eyes, and 172 centimetres of pure perfection. </p><p>Isogai leaned closer, faces so near that their lips were practically brushing as he whispered, “do you feel better now?”</p><p>Maehara smiled as he pecked the tip of the other boy’s nose, “much.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Great, because we still have to finish going through the Tokyo Conferences.”</p><p>“Wha- Yuuumaaaa!”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <b>You Can Count On Me: Sugino x Nagisa</b>
</p><p>“Hey, Nagisa?” Sugino whispered, standing on his tiptoes so that he could see the outline of his best friend’s shaking figure on the top bunk, “are you alright?”</p><p>Nagisa’s response was to clutch the blanket covering him tighter, his deep exhales cutting into the silence of the room. As part of a school trip, all of E-Class had been split by gender and sent to two rooms, each one a large dormitory that had walls lined with bunk beds. The annoyance that the students had at the way that E-Class had been forced to stay in only two rooms when the other students at Kunugigaoka were given each their own rooms that were far more luxurious than theirs had quickly dissipated as they all scrambled to claim the top bunks for themselves, quickly devolving into a war that had battles consisting of rock, paper, scissors, thumb wrestling, pushing and shoving or - in Karma’s case - just sitting on the top bunk with his arms crossed and a ‘what you gonna do about it?’ smirk. Once the shenanigans had died down they decided (read were told by Karasuma) to go to bed and everything continued as normal - or it did until the thunderstorm broke out in the middle of the night. Now Sugino was not a light sleeper, his mother claimed that he could sleep through a hurricane if he could and that he would only awaken if he heard the slightest mutter of the word ‘baseball’, but for some reason he felt a force compelling him to wake up. It was at that moment that he heard a bolt of lightning crackle in the distance followed by the loud clash of thunder and he felt all of the sleepiness wash away from him when the realisation dropped onto him like an anvil - he wasn’t a light sleeper but Nagisa was, and he was deathly afraid of lightning. With that thought, he scrambled out of the bed to look at the one above his and lo and behold, the poor guy was tossing and turning, letting out soft sniffles and shuddering breaths. Sugino slipped a hand through the metal bars of the bed so that he could tap the smaller boy, whispering harshly, “Nagisa, Nagisa. Dude, are you alright?”</p><p>Nagisa had somehow managed to decrease the intensity of his trashing so that he could look at the source of the soothing voice that spoke to him, “Su-Sugino?”</p><p>“Yeah - yeah, it’s me,” Sugino murmured. Nagisa had found the hand that was on his bed and was now clutching it like a lifeline. Giving the hand that was being held by Nagisa’s a comforting squeeze, he continued, “are you alright? Should I-”</p><p>He was interrupted by another clamour of lightning bolts and thunder, which caused Nagisa to release a muffled squeak as he folded into himself and his hand to lose circulation due to Nagisa’s grip on it.</p><p>“Do you want me to join you?” At Nagisa’s confused look, “on your bed I mean. You look like you could use some company.”</p><p>He was really glad it was dark so that Nagisa couldn’t see the way his face had heated up at his question but he was here to help his best friend dammit, now’s not the time to get embarrassed, not when Nagisa needs him. Normally, Nagisa would’ve said no, he would’ve given a shaky smile and reassured Sugino that he was alright and that he didn’t need to worry about him so it really spoke volumes when Nagisa gave a tiny shy nod, it was practically invisible under the cover of darkness but it was there and so Sugino was set. Gently pulling his hand away from Nagisa’s hold, he silently walked towards the ladder connecting their beds together and made his way up before slowly settling himself down next to the blunette. Immediately, Nagisa had grabbed onto him, wrapping his arms around his mid torso and burying his head into his chest, covering his sleepshirt with tears. Sugino’s own arms had automatically found their way around the petite boy, one wrapping itself around his shaking back so that it could give him comforting strokes and the other folding itself under Nagisa’s neck so that it’s hand could rub the blunette’s scalp. They both laid there, squashed up on Nagisa’s bunk, embracing each other as Sugino wordlessly succoured the smaller boy.</p><p>Once his breathing rate had returned to nearly normal, Sugino whispered, “You alright now?”</p><p>“Don’t go,” Nagisa mumbled, voice muffled from where it was smooshed against the other’s chest.</p><p>“Never,” Sugino muttered as one of his hands idly played with a few long strands of baby blue. Nagisa always looked younger with his hair down, more childish and vulnerable, and it always made Sugino’s chest flare with an urge to protect his best friend, to never leave his side. Now that Nagisa wasn’t shaking himself something awful, he had nothing to distract himself from the close proximity that they shared, from the way he could feel Nagisa’s warm breath against his chest, from the way his own heartbeat seemed louder than the thunder that had terrified the boy against him. </p><p>“Sugino,” Nagisa’s voice was soft and still held evidence that he had crying.</p><p>“Yeah?” </p><p>“Will-will you stay here for a bit? You-you don’t have to if you don’t want to, I’m alright now so you can go-”</p><p>“It’s alright,” Sugino whispered, “I’m comfy here anyway.”</p><p>He could feel Nagisa’s signature small smile abutting the fabric of his shirt, “thank you.”</p><p>“No problem.”</p><p>And if early-to-rise Isogai found the two boys pressed up against each other, still in the hold that they fell asleep in, on his way to the bathroom. Well, that’s no one’s business but his.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <b>Pairing: Sugino x Nagisa</b>
</p><p>Tomohito’s eyes widened as he watched the hero block the villain’s attack with his sword, “Woah, Nagisa, check that out. I bet Fuwa would love this scene - Nagisa?”</p><p>Turning his head, he found that the shorter boy was dead to the world, bundled strands of aquamarine lay sprawled across his face and flew upwards with every deep exhale. His arms were crossed over the oversized grey jumper that Tomohito gave him a few hours earlier, the large article of clothing practically drowning his petite sleeping form. All of a sudden, the blunette’s head slipped from the sofa’s back pillows and landed on the curve of the baseball lover’s shoulder, making the tanned boy’s face heat up as tingling sparks ran through his nerves.</p><p>“Nagisa, you good there buddy?” Sugino whispered in amusement as he poked the other boy’s cheek. The response he got was a soft groan. Chuckling to himself, Tomohito reached over and grabbed the remote control so that he could stop the movie they were watching.</p><p>“No, the sushi’s gonna eat me,” Nagisa mumbled before burying his face deeper into Tomohito’s shoulder.</p><p>“Really?” he raised an eyebrow, stifling his laughter when he clicked the TV off, “Don’t worry, Nagisa, I’ll protect you from the sushi.”</p><p>When Nagisa just snuggled further against his side, he shook his head with fondness and pulled on the blanket that covered their laps so that it enveloped them up to their chests. Then, he rested his head against his cushion and drifted off himself.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <b>Garden Of Love: Yada x Kurahashi </b>
</p><p>“Oh look, Yada,” Kurahashi gasped, excitedly grasping onto the brunette’s arm with one hand and pointing at the insect with the other, “it’s a Monarch.”</p><p>Yada smiled at the sheer awe and reverence that was evident in the orange haired girl’s tone. Looking down at the metallic stand that had information of few of the butterflies in the enclosure, she said, “it says here that they’re native to North and South America. You’re a long way from home aren’t you, little guy?”</p><p>Kurahashi giggled, “isn’t it beautiful?”</p><p>“Yep,” Yada nodded, “it’s wings are the same colour as your hair and eyes so it must be. Though, to be honest, you are much prettier than a Dan-a-us plex-i-ppus.”</p><p>Kurahashi blushed before bursting out into titters, “Oh you say the sweetest things, Yada. I really do appreciate you coming here with me.”</p><p>“Are you kidding,” Yada smiled, “how can I say no when my girlfriend offers to take me to a butterfly garden for our date? I should be thanking you. Everything here is so beautiful.”</p><p>It really was; when the two of them had entered the enclosure, Yada felt like she was stepping into the pages of the fairytale picture books she would read to her little brother and nothing could contain the awe-filled gasp she had let out. Willows hung on the way in, creating a curtain of fresh leaves, like a portal to this picturesque wonderland. On either side of the light grey cobblestone path were lush greenery that was lined by pebbles and large foliage such as coleus, hosta, Persian Shields and Elephant Ears. Fluttering butterflies danced and flew about, landing on the flowers, leaves and glistening walls of glass. Of course, whilst the scenery was delightfully charming Kurahashi Hinano - with her flowing pink strawberry sundress, sunset orange hair that was embroidered by a rainbow mirage where the sun caught on it and beautiful emerald eyes that held the windows to her (oh so pretty) soul - was like sunshine itself, in which she had the ability to outshine everything around her with her brightness.</p><p>“Yada,” Kurahashi whisper-squealed, cutting into her thoughts as she raised her cell phone and snapped a picture with delight, “stay completely still.”</p><p>Once she had placed her phone back into her small over-the-shoulder bag, she reached up and held a finger to the middle of Kurahashi’s forehead. As she slowly retracted it, the violet-eyed teenager could see a butterfly with sapphire blue wings that were painted with black on their edges gently fluttering on it’s tip, before flying off. Yada was watching it soar through the trees when she felt her sides get trapped in the warm embrace of her girlfriend so she automatically wrapped her own arms around her smaller frame.</p><p>“What’s this for, Sweetie?” she laughed, tracing the outline of one of the many red berries that were scattered across the fabric on the other’s back with a finger.</p><p>“For being the most amazing girlfriend in the world,” was her reply. Kurahashi leaned back to give one of her signature sunshine beams and Yada couldn’t help but giggle as she felt herself falling even harder for the adorable bug-loving girl in front of her. Standing in the middle of this enchanting building, surrounded by a myriad of flowers and butterflies, with the girl that she wants to spend the rest of her life getting to know made her feel like the luckiest person on Earth. With a smile, she took one of Kurahashi’s hands and interlaced their fingers together.</p><p>“Come on, Honey,” she said, “let’s see if we can spot some more.”</p><p>“Okay,” Kurahashi grinned, eyes ablaze with happiness, “I think I saw a Red Admiral head this way.”</p><p>“Then lead the way, Kurahashi,” she stated. Kurahashi smiled as she walked ahead, pulling on her girlfriend’s hand as she sprouted off more facts about butterflies.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <b>And It's Warm And Real And Bright: Maeiso</b>
</p><p>“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Isogai breathed out in awe as he watched the lanterns fly up into the sky. Glowing papers of red and gold capered in harmony as they ascended, spiraling and twirling upwards in their own graceful dance. Maehara said nothing as he observed Isogai as the brunette was awestruck with the way they tried to mingle with the stars, his own eyes were captivated with how their light made his boyfriend look even more ethereal as they cast a hazy golden glow on his face, softening his features to give him the like of an angel. His breath caught in his throat as his amber eyes drank in the sight of how Isogai’s hair was phosphorescent with the the golden hues that caught on every stray strand, at how his eyes outshone the lanterns that surrounded them with the way they stole the radiance from the stars above, at how his pale face was shining with that natural glow that, when enhanced by their surroundings, made him feel like he had died and gone to heaven. When Isogai reached over and intertwined their fingers together, he felt so lightheaded at the touch that he thought that he would’ve toppled out of the boat and drowned then and there (although, honestly, he wouldn’t have minded drowning if the last thing he saw was Isogai’s wide-eyed breathtaking face - that’s normal right?).</p><p>“Hiroto,” he smiled, “is everything alright?”</p><p>“Yeah, Yuuma,” Maehara replied, unable to contain the giddy grin that found its way onto his face, “I just couldn’t help but think about how lucky I am to have a boyfriend that can outshine all of the lanterns here.”</p><p>The boyfriend in question turned red at that remark, lightly slapping the other in the chest, “oh, stop that.”</p><p>Maehara smirked and winked, “just speaking the truth, Yuu.”</p><p>Isogai rolled his eyes before Maehara took their other unclasped hands and held them together. Just then, a sharp breeze had blown through them and along with it came fluttering cherry blossoms from the trees near them. The tiny pink flowers danced around them, delicate white and baby pink petals swirling elegantly in the air and one getting stuck on the side of Isogai’s cheek. With extreme gentleness, Maehara, mindful not to make too much movement lest he jostle the boat and capsize them both, cupped his boyfriend’s - oh so perfect - face and used his thumb to tenderly wipe away the blossom before he brought their heads together to whisper, “would you mind terribly if I were to kiss you right now?”</p><p>The soft smile he got in return, coupled with how Isogai had mirrored his action and was now also gently holding onto his face, had sent his heart soaring with the lanterns that they had been admiring previously, “I would love nothing more.”</p><p>Grinning like an idiot, he leaned forward and pressed his lips together with the teenager in front of him, their faces slotting together perfectly like they always did. It was short and sweet and chaste and they had disconnected almost immediately but Maehara, being the lovesick fool he was, could feel his heart beat with fervour, sending his blood rushing through his vessels like he had just run a marathon against Kimura. The two of them reclasped their hands together as they pressed their foreheads against each other, getting lost in each other’s affectionate gazes, speaking to the other not with words but with every twinkle in their eyes that could say far more than their mouths ever could. Maehara could’ve stayed there forever if he hadn’t been struck by a sudden realisation. With great reluctance, he leaned away so that he could open the bag that he brought with him onto the little rowing boat, “Wait a sec, I just remembered that I got a little surprise for you.”</p><p>Isogai cocked his head to the side in confusion, “what is it?”</p><p>“This,” Maehara procured a flat, folded up paper sky lantern. After he had unfolded it, he handed it to the brunette, “would you mind holding it please so that I could light it?”</p><p>“Sure thing,” Isogai held the lantern upside down so that the blonde could light up it’s square fuel pad with the lighter he had brought. Once the tiny flame was billowing around inside it, he turned it the right way up, allowing both of them to hold onto its base.</p><p>Maehara smiled, “together?”</p><p>“Together.”</p><p>“Alright then, on the count of three. One”</p><p>“Two.”</p><p>“Three,” Together they both let go, watching it rise towards the endless sea of indigo and blue.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. You're My Firework</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Pairing: Karmagisa with Maeiso in the omake</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Nagisa stared at the rows of colourful clothing as around him, his female classmates weaved through the racks of yukatas in the store they were in. With scrutinising eyes and hushed whispers, they inspected every piece of fabric that caught their eye whilst he stood in the middle of it all, watching them with visible confusion and resignation. When Koro-Sensei had all but begged him to come to the upcoming summer festival, the last thing he had expected upon arrival was to have Nakamura seize his wrist and, along with the rest of the girls, drag him to a store where they can all rent yukatas for the night.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Bu-but I-I don’t need a yukata,” he had argued, desperately trying to pull his arm away from the blonde’s unyielding grip.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Sure you do,” she stated, completely unfazed by his efforts, “come on, it’s the only festival we’re going to go to as a class and everyone else is going to dress up.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“But I didn’t even bring that much.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Which is why I’m paying.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“What,” he said, startled, “Nakamura, I really can’t ask you to-”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“You’re not asking,” she shot him a grin, “I’m offering. And I’m not taking no for an answer. You really think that I’m going to let you dress like that?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh, please, Nagisa,” Kurahashi beamed with clasped hands, “we promise we won’t make you wear it if you don’t want to and we won’t pick anything too girly but it would be really nice if you do wear one.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Nagisa sighed (Kurahashi really knows how to work those puppy eyes), “all right, then.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Here you go,” his thoughts were cut off by Yada dropping a bundle of dark blue cotton into his arms. Then he felt hands grab onto his shoulders and steer his body towards one of the fitting rooms.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Wha-guys?!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Go ahead and try it on, Nagisa,” Kayano laughed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“O-Okay then,” and with that he closed the curtain that separated him from the rest of the shop. Once he had discarded his hoodie, graphic t-shirt and jeans, he carefully draped the yukata over himself, diligently tying the silver-coloured sash around his waist. Turning around, he inspected his reflection in the mirror that stood in front of him; his clothing was sapphire blue and had silver dragonflies scattered around it with sleeves that were so long that the cuffs reached up to his finger’s joints. He knows that it’s normal for boys to wear Yukatas to festivals - the tag even said ‘male XS’ - but come on, it’s practically a dress. He did admit that it looked nice but the way that the cotton practically engulfed his petite form did absolutely nothing to help his already babyish features, if anything it practically drew more attention to how large his eyes were. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, ‘Gisa. You done in there or are you going to come out next decade?” Nakamura called out, the smirk evident in her voice.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, alright,” Nagisa mumbled as he swiftly pulled open the curtain to expose himself to his awaiting audience, who were already wearing their own rented clothing. Yada and Kurahashi immediately began clapping their hands as Nakamura regarded him up and down before nodding.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, Nagisa, you look amazing,” Kayano cooed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It does suit you,” Okano agreed, “do you like it?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It does look nice,” he said shyly, “but you guys really don’t need to-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, come on, we're getting that for you,” Nakamura cut in with a tone that held no room for argument. She handed him a plastic bag, “put your clothes in this. I’m going to the counter to pay. Oh, and put these on.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nagisa stared at the geta shoes that were thrust forward. He whined, “but these hurt.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Pain is beauty, sweetie,” the blonde grinned before turning around and making her way to the counter. After paying for their clothes, they made their way towards the heart of the festival, where they met up with a very enthusiastic Koro-Sensei and the rest of their class under the stripes of glowing red lanterns that were hung overhead. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, you guys are here,” Isogai said, smiling when they made their way towards him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow,” Maehara whistled as he took in their appearance, “I’ve got to say that you all look wonderful.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Both the blonde and brunette were wearing yukatas that were golden and green respectively and were attracting more than a few looks from passers by. How come when the other boys wear these things, they actually look masculine?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, there you are,” they all turned their heads to see Karma sauntering towards them, a trademark lazy grin on his face. Nagisa felt his cheeks heat up as he took in the taller boy’s form. Adorning the redhead was a scarlet garment with black dragons swirling along the material and a black overcoat stylishly draping over him. Whilst Nagisa had always admired his boyfriend’s intelligence and wit, he is aware that his looks weren’t exactly something to laugh about. Seeing him standing under the traditional lanterns, their intense glow defining his sharp features and making his golden eyes illuminate even brighter than usual, made his breath catch in his throat and his head to feel dizzy at how hard it was reeling. As if he could read the blunette’s thoughts (and let’s be honest, when could he not), Karma smirked, “like what you see?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The others laughed as Nagisa ducked his head to hide his blush. Karma grinned and walked up to him so that he could throw an arm around the shorter boy’s shoulders and squeeze him with a side-hug. Leaning down, he whispered, “If I’m being honest, I’m really enjoying what I’m seeing.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As Nagisa’s pigtails shot up with fluster, Maehara addressed the group, “So the fireworks are going to happen in about half an hour. Anyone got any plans for what we should do until then?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Chiba texted me that he was going to be near the shooting stalls,” Hayami intoned, “I’m going to go join him.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I think that I’m going to go for a walk,” Kanzaki said, smiling, “everything here is so beautiful, I just have to see what the rest of the festival is like.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That sounds like a great idea,” Kurahashi beamed, clapping her hands, “I think I’ll join you, Kanzaki.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The rest of the girls were nodding their heads when Isogai pointed his thumb over his shoulder and behind his back as he piped up, “well, I’m gonna go scoop some goldfish. See you guys later.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nagisa watched the class Ikeman leave with Maehara in tow before he felt someone pull at his sleeve.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on,” Karma said, “let’s go check this place out.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Smiling, Nagisa let Karma lead the way as they walked towards the stalls.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>….</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A few minutes later, Nagisa was strolling along through the crowd with Karma, holding a stick of the wataame that the redhead bought for them to share. Picking off a floof of the sugary confection and plopping it into his mouth, he let it dissolve before saying, “we really ought to go to the meeting place where everyone else is. The fireworks would be starting soon.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Your right,” Karma remarked, “but we’re not going to be heading back.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’ll be way too crowded with everyone there. I know a good spot. Plus, I don’t want to stay with everyone else for longer than necessary. I’d rather it be the two of us.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nagisa sweat-dropped at that. Karma didn’t exactly hide how annoyed he was that Nagisa had gotten some attention from a few passersby - he spent half of their walk around the festival glaring at anyone that he deemed was leering at the blunette with a look that would send Satan running. He even decked Okajima in the face when the boy made a pass at Nagisa by sliding an arm around his shoulders whilst saying some pick-up line and winking before steering Nagisa well away from their classmate. Shaking his head to get rid of the memory, he asked, “so where are we going?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ll see.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘You’ll see’ turned out to be a hill that stood near the perimeter of the festival. Nagisa yelped when he felt Karma’s hand circle his wrist, pulling the shorter boy along with him as he climbed the hill with powerful strides, “Waah, Karma, slow down! I can’t climb as fast as you with these shoes.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Karma stilled before turning back to look at him. He considered the blue-eyed boy for a moment and nodded, “you’re right. Don’t worry, I know how we can get to the top much faster.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh-Wai-AHH, KARMA!” Nagisa yelled as he was unceremoniously picked up in a bridal carry. His arms had somehow found their way around Karma’s neck and his treat had dropped to the floor. He glared up at the smug redhead.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Nagi,” Karma cooed, continuing to make his ascent up the hill with his boyfriend in his arms, “has anyone ever told you that you’re really light?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut up,” Nagisa pouted, refusing to make eye-contact, “you don’t have to carry me you know.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I know,” Nagisa could hear the smirk in the other’s voice, “but there’s no way that I’m going to miss out on the opportunity.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Before Nagisa could reply, he was gently placed onto his feet at the peak of the hill. He was about to say something to Karma when a twinkle caught his eye. He turned around to see the festival below them. The rows of glowing red lanterns stretched as far as he could see and the lights that were wrapped around stalls and signposts shined like glittering diamonds. It truly was breath-taking.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Told you that I know a good spot,” Karma said beside him. Nagisa huffed a laugh and reached his arm out so that he could clasp his boyfriend’s hand with his. Once their fingers interlaced, he felt Karma give his hand a squeeze. When he looked up at him, the redhead shot him a fond smile. He side-stepped closer to the taller male so that he could rest his head on his shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“This is nice,” Nagisa murmured, “I like it here. Thank you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No problem, Nagi.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nagisa could feel the other’s eyes on him, he tilted his head to look up at his boyfriend, ignoring the sounds of the crowd cheering and buzzing with excitement. Karma turned the shorter boy’s body so that the two of them were standing face to face instead of side by side, the whizzes and fizzles lost onto the couple’s ears. Sparks of luminescent colour soared into the sky, bursting into dazzling kaleidoscopic splatters that filled the sky with a rain of light and wonder. However, their shimmers had nothing on the intense golden stare that had him rooted in place, their cacophonous crackles held no power against the frenzy that was his own heartbeat. With every burst of colour and light, their own faces were splashed with radiance, casting their features with a luminescence that drew them in the same way moths were drawn by flames. When he felt Karma’s long slender fingers cup the side of his face - he didn’t even realise that they had closed the distance between them - he could see the question burning behind those golden orbs that he loved so much. In response he nodded his head ever so slightly, making sure not to break the gaze that they were sharing. Karma smiled, eyes softening with a warmth that never failed to make Nagisa’s legs go weak, and connected their lips just as another firework exploded. Nagisa snaked his arms around the taller boy’s neck, immediately trying to close the infinitesimal distance between them and pressed his lips more firmly against the other’s. The multi colored marigolds continued to bloom on the vast expanse of indigo and black as Nagisa felt the redhead wrap an arm that wasn’t holding his face around his waist to pull them flush together. Both of them tightened their holds before the need for oxygen forced them to pull away. Karma rested his forehead against the blunette’s and Nagisa found himself entranced at the way he could see the fireworks reflection inside the taller boy’s pupils. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey,” Karma murmured.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey,” Nagisa whisper-laughed, “don’t you think we should watch the fireworks.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Nah,” Karma smirked, brushing Nagisa’s bangs away from his forehead, “I’ve got something much more interesting standing right in front of me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>BONUS:</p>
<p>“Hey,” Sugino asked, looking around and scratching his head, “where are Karma and Nagisa. I’m sure that I saw them earlier.”</p>
<p>Nakamura smirked, “I don’t know but I’m sure that those two lovebirds found somewhere private where they can enjoy themselves.”</p>
<p>“Nrfufufufu, you won’t be wrong Nakamura,” Koro-Sensei said (privately thanking that he brought his camera with him), “aahh, young love. It truly is magical.”</p>
<p>“At least those two know how to keep things private,” said Kimura, sweat-dropping at the sight of Maehara making out with a flushing Isogai.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Surprise Showers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUGINO TOMOHITO. I LOVE YOU, YOU ADORABLE LITTLE BASEBALL GEEK</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“I can’t believe that it’s raining,” Sugino despaired as he watched the drops of rain splatter onto the surface of the umbrella that covered their heads and the picnic table, before they down its curves and plopping onto the grass, “I was so looking forward to spending the day practicing my pitches.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, look on the bright side,” Nagisa gave an amicable smile from the seat opposite him, “at least we managed to get a few good throws before it really started to pour.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The black-haired teenager sighed, “yeah, you’re right. But it's Summer and the weather reporter said that it’s going to be clear skies. Just what did I do to make Mother Nature hate me so much that she had to ruin my birthday plans?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa huffed a laugh at the sight of his best friend’s pouting face, finding amusement in the way the baseball lover pursed his lips and scrunched his nose up as he glared at the sky in ire, as if he took the rainfall as a personal act of disrespect. He, himself, had become disheartened when he felt the tell-tale dots of cold wet drizzle against his forehead during their baseball practice at the park. The moment that the rain started to pour with a more rapid vigour, the two boys had ran across the field of the park, carrying their bags as they sought refuge from the onslaught of droplets under the canopy of one of the park’s tables. He really was looking forward to celebrating Sugino’s birthday for the first time - he even went to bed at a reasonable hour and didn’t miss any meals so that he wouldn’t be too tired. However, there are some things that can’t be controlled. “At least I brought an umbrella so that we won’t get pneumonia.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sugino gave a weak smile, “at least there’s that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not exactly.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not the only thing I’ve brought.” Nagisa said as he brought his usual over-the-shoulder bag to his lap. After zipping it open, he carefully brought out a medium sized smooth white cardboard box that, thankfully, remained unaffected by the downpour. Gently pushing the box forward, he offered, “open it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sugino raised an eyebrow at the object in front of him. He gave the blunette a quick glance before looking back down again and slowly opening up the hinged lid. He gasped at the contents, feeling like his eyes were going to water at the sight. Sitting neatly in rows of three were half a dozen cupcakes with adroitly flattened tops. Snow white frosting was smoothly spread on their crowns and crimson icing was curved near their edges to recreate the classic red stitches of a baseball. At the center of each cake was an elegantly piped letter so that all six of them read ‘SUGINO’ in black icing. The ebony haired boy, realising that it had been several seconds of him not saying due to the shock that had filled him, reluctantly tore his eyes away from the gift and looked at his best friend (‘the best friend in the world’ his mind shouted) who was already looking at him with discomfort, clearly observing and scrutinising his expression for any sign of discontent. The other male was worrying his bottom lip with his front teeth as he shifted and fidgeted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So,” Nagisa turned his head away slightly but still kept eye contact, “do you like them?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you kidding?” Sugino’s voice came out both choked up but laced with incredulous laughter, “this is the coolest thing ever-” at Nagisa’s disbelieving look he continued “-I mean, seriously, not even the guys back at the baseball club did this for me. Like, dude, I can’t even explain how cool this is of you to make these.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not much,” Nagisa said quietly, “I mean, they’re just cupcakes. It’s not like I got you tickets to an Arita game or anything.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So what? I’ve already been to an Arita game. No one’s ever made me cupcakes before, though. Mom has tried to make me cakes for my birthday but she kept on getting them wrong.” Sugino reminisced fondly, remembering the mess that was his seventh birthday cake that, honestly, was more reminiscent of charcoal than confectionary. Needless to say, when it comes to birthdays, the Sugino family order out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, it was my first time baking cupcakes so they might not be that good,” Nagisa said apologetically, “so sorry if you end up with food poisoning.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As if you would ever give someone food that would make them even slightly unwell,” Sugino rolled his eyes with a smile, “but seeing as you look about as uncomfortable as you do during B****-Sensei’s seduction lessons, why don’t I give the final verdict.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He carefully picked up one of the baked masterpieces before he sunk his teeth into its soft texture. Once he took a bite he seemed unable to suppress the moan he emitted at the burst of vanilla goodness that erupted in his mouth. The triumph of delectably sweet sugary buttercream danced gracefully with the fluffy victoria sponge that melted on his tongue. He swallowed audibly before uttering, “wow.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So?” Nagisa asked slowly, the dare to hope tinged in his tone, “you like it then?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love it,” he exclaimed, “like, oh my god man, this is seriously the best cupcake I’ve ever had. Like wow! I can’t even-thank you so much, dude!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The bluenette’s face coloured at the sudden praise that was bombarded his way, still clearly not used to compliments. He rubbed his nape with embarrassment, “I mean, I just followed a recipe on the internet.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sugino smiled at him, enthusiastically holding another cupcake in front of the petite male’s nose, “come on, man. You’ve got to have one.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sugino, I made them for you,” Nagisa argued.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” the baseball lover rolled his eyes, “for my birthday. And since it’s my birthday, I want to celebrate it by hanging out with my best friend and eating the amazing food my best friend made me. Come on. It would make me happier about having to stop pitching practice.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa gave him a dry look before a small smile grew on his lips, “alright then. Happy birthday, Sugino.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks Nagisa. It really is starting to look like one.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Around them, the rain continued to pour.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Days Like This No One Should Be Alone</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>AKA: Maeiso adopt local blueberry snek</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Whatever Maehara was expecting to happen today, this definitely wasn’t on the list. Not even in the top 20. It’s surprising how a perfectly normal day could be flipped upside down faster than Koro-Sensei could fly from one continent to another - and it all started so normally as well.</p><p> </p><p>He was walking towards the cafe that his boyfriend worked at, which was his third favourite place to be (the first being in Isogai’s arms, of course), umbrella in hand to protect him from the onslaught of raindrops that were pelting down from above. His casual stroll through the nearly empty streets of Tokyo was quickly halted when a flash of blue caught his eye, bumping straight into him and sending him sprawling backwards onto the rain-immersed pavement. Maehara closed his eyes and hissed in pain at the tingling sensation of the grainy tarmac rubbing against his palms. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh my god,” a very familiar voice cried out in panic, “Maehara, I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you there. Are you okay?”</p><p> </p><p>The strawberry blonde groaned, eyes still shut as he lifted himself up from the ground.</p><p> </p><p>“Wha-yeah, man, it’s cool no worri-NAGISA?!” Maehara yelled in shock, eyes bulging and jaw dropping when he took in the appearance of his classmate.</p><p> </p><p>Splodges of striking indigo draped the smaller boy’s forehead, temples and cheekbones, glaring angrily at everyone that so much as glanced at them. The smears of purple and red near those large cerulean eyes stood out against that porcelain, otherwise pristine pale skin. His cheeks were red and the golden-haired boy couldn’t tell if it was from his crying, exertion or the cold bite of the chilly air. Locks of aquamarine that were usually tied up into cute twintails were unraveled, cascading messily down the other teenager’s scalp, a few stray strands sticking haphazardly to his dampened face. What was really strange was his clothing: flowing near his knees was a flared pink skirt decorated with intricate little floral designs and a pastel pink blouse was tucked under it. The garments were rumpled and ruffled, soaked with rain and tarnished with mud. His feet were bare with raw pink painting their edges. Pooling around his feet was a large piece of cotton - most likely an old blanket - that was probably dropped during the collision.</p><p> </p><p>“Nagisa, what the hell happened to you?” Maehara spluttered out once he was snapped out of his trance-like state, “why are you wearing that? Where are your shoes? Why are you crying?”</p><p> </p><p>In hindsight, it probably wasn’t a good idea to start bombarding questions at a boy who looked like he was going to either burst into tears or have a panic attack without a second’s notice but the surprise of this entire situation just seemed to make all logic and reason fly out of the window.</p><p> </p><p>“I-I’m sorry. I-I’ve I’ve got to go,” Nagisa stammered out as he swiftly picked up the discarded sheet on the ground, now dripping murky brown due to the rainwater. Maehara quickly grabbed onto the blunette’s wrist to prevent him from escaping his sight. </p><p> </p><p>“You’re not going anywhere,” he said firmly. Nagisa exhaled heavily and squeaked, looking at him with eyes wide with fear.</p><p> </p><p>“But-but-I.”</p><p> </p><p>“If anyone’s chasing you I’ll give them a lesson they’ll never forget. No one is chasing you, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“N-n-no,” Nagisa gulped at the stern look that the usual carefree teenager shot him, shaking his head rapidly, “at-atleast I don’t think so.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm,” Maehara hummed, jaw set, practically seething with rage as he regarded Nagisa’s bruised and shivering form. Whoever hurt, his classmate, whoever terrified him to this level, they better run. It just so happened that Nagisa was a beloved member of a class of assassins, all of who would give hell to whoever it was that would dare hurt him. All it would take is one message to the class group chat and they’re done for - they have no idea who they just messed with. When he noticed that Nagisa still bore that fearful countenance, his eyes softened and he pulled the smaller boy closer so that both of them were standing under the umbrella. He then handed the handle to him, which Nagisa took with a perplexed look that then transformed to shock when Maehara started stripping off his rain jacket.</p><p> </p><p>“Maehara, what are you doing?” he asked with alarm, voice rising.</p><p> </p><p>“Giving you my jacket,” was his simple response.</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Nagisa whisper-yelled, “wha-no! You can’t do that. Really I’m fine and-”</p><p> </p><p>“No, you’re not,” Maehara retorted as he held the jacket out, “Nagisa, it’s raining cats and dogs and here you are soaking wet. You’re not even wearing shoes and you’re <em> shivering </em> . At least I’m wearing a full-sleeved sweater under this. Now <em> take my jacket before I shove it onto you myself </em>.”</p><p> </p><p>Nagisa gulped once again at the uncharacteristically serious tone in the blonde’s voice before taking the jacket and tentatively put it on. The large garment practically engulfed him, with the end reaching upto his calves and the cuffs flowing past his fingertips.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright?” Maehara asked. When Nagisa nodded, he continued, “good. Now come on, let’s go.”</p><p> </p><p>Nagisa yelped when the taller boy swung an arm around his shoulder, pulling him closer under the protection of their shared canopy, “wai-wait, where-where are we going?”</p><p> </p><p>“Out of this rain for one. I was actually on my way to Isogai’s cafe before I bumped into you - literally,” he was hoping that that little quip would’ve brought a slight smile, or at least that small huff of laughter he usually does, but if anything, the look on Nagisa’s face could only be described as horror.</p><p> </p><p>“Wait, Isogai!” he whispered harshly, stopping in place, “I-I can’t let Isogai see me like this. I-I I just can’t. Please Maehara, just let me go.”</p><p> </p><p>“Nagisa, I can’t,” Maehara replied kindly, “look, I don’t know what’s going on at all here but I need to make sure that you’re safe and letting you run off to god knows where in the pouring rain is the complete opposite of safe. We don’t need to talk about the bruises but we need to atleast get you someplace warm. And, look, you know Isogai, he never judges or asks questions when he shouldn’t. Just, please, let me make sure that you’re alright, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Nagisa bit his lip and looked down before making the smallest movements with his head - a nod. Maehara internally crowed with victory that was mixed with an overwhelming surge of protectiveness that curled in his gut at the way the golden hue of his bright yellow umbrella seemed to highlight the contusions that decorated the other boy’s face.</p><p> </p><p>“That's the spirit, Nagisa. Now let’s go.” </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Isogai was dressed in his classic black and white waiter’s uniform, carrying a tea tray and the air of polite grace and elegance. When the bell by the door rang to signal the two boys’ entrance, Isogai raised his head to greet them with his usual friendly smile only for his face to fall with horror and concern once his eyes had taken in Nagisa’s injured form hanging off of his boyfriend.</p><p> </p><p>“Excuse me, ladies,” he said gentlemanly at the middle-aged women he was currently serving tea to, flashing them his patented pleasant smile that brought in customers by the dozen as he carefully placed the teapot in the middle of the table, “an issue seems to have come up so if there’s nothing else for you to order, I shall be taking my leave.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why of course not, Isogai,” One of them cooed, waving her hand down at him, “you work so hard, you know. Do be a dear and give your mother my love for me, though.”</p><p> </p><p>Isogai bowed his head, “Of course, Ma’am. Please enjoy your meal.”</p><p> </p><p>He immediately rushed towards the entrance, placing a hand onto the blunette’s shoulder, “what happened?”</p><p> </p><p>“I bumped into him on my way here,” Maehara supplied with a jerk of his head towards the shorter boy, “any chance there’s a free booth for us?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course,” Isogai smiled, though his eyes held unmistakable concern. The look of disquietude on Maehara’s face made him uneasy - and, of course, it’s not everyday you see your classmate entering your place of work with bruises littering their face and feet bare. Especially a pacifist like Nagisa who would be the last person on Earth to be involved in a brawl of any kind, “follow me, please.”</p><p> </p><p>Once Nagisa and Maehara were seated, the golden-haired boy turned towards their class representative, “Hey, Yuuma, I think he could use some tea. He’s shivering and I don’t think that it’s from the rain.”</p><p> </p><p>Isogai nodded firmly, eyes still glued onto the unfortunate subject of their conversation, whose head was hung low and had yet to speak a word, “I’ll get a cup right away.”</p><p> </p><p>As soon as Isogai left, Maehara looked at his companion, “So, Nagisa-“</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t want to talk about it,” Nagisa mumbled, hugging himself tighter.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright,” Maehara said, feeling very much out of his depth at the moment, hoping and praying for Isogai to hurry up. It was such a role reversal, for him to be the one comforting Nagisa when it was normally the blue-haired boy that was the class therapist, who was the one with the emotional intelligence to make anyone calm down or cheer up, “let’s talk about something else instead.”</p><p> </p><p>“Like what?” Nagisa turned to him.</p><p> </p><p>“Like,” Maehara suggested, “like, about these cute cat videos Kurahashi sent to the group chat earlier. Have you seen them?”</p><p> </p><p>When Nagisa shook his head, Maehara grinned and pulled out his phone to stream the very video. It turned out to be the trick because the starting clip of a tiny kitten pawing at a ball of yarn caused the very thing that Maehara hoped would happen - Nagisa smiled. It was just a small quirk of the lips but it was there. As the seconds passed and a new clip started playing, the other seemed to be entranced by the screen, even at one point covering his mouth to muffle a slight squeak of laughter. Isogai arrived during a later recording of a bunch of felines staring confusedly at a piece of cling film that was blocking their path, looking at Nagisa quizzically before turning his gaze towards Maehara, who just smiled. The brunette smiled back as he placed the tea tray onto the table and took a seat on the chairs opposite the other two. Nagisa’s head shot up at the sound of the tray hitting the tabletop, his smile sliding off his face as fast as lightning. His earlier look of fear made an appearance, which made Isogai quickly say, “Hey, it’s alright Nagisa. Nothing’s going to happen, okay. We won’t make you say anything you don’t want to, we just want to help. Oh, here, I brought an ice pack for your face. Does it hurt?”</p><p> </p><p>Nagisa shook his head, but took the ice pack anyway, quietly replying, “No, I-I barely feel a thing, really. You shouldn’t have gone through all of that trouble.”</p><p> </p><p>“Nonsense,” Maehara said as he started to pour Nagisa a steaming cup of tea, pushing the ceramic cup towards him, “now drink up, man.” When Nagisa just stared at the beverage, he added, “it’s not poisoned you know.”</p><p> </p><p>Nagisa unzipped Maehara’s jacket so that he could extract his arms out and place both palms onto the warm surface of the tea cup and bring it to his mouth, making sure to take slow, careful sips. Isogai’s eyes widened at the sight of Nagisa’s short sleeved, light pink blouse before turning to Maehara, questions blazing in his eyes. His boyfriend could only shoot his own puzzled look and shook his head. </p><p> </p><p>“Nagisa,” Isogai started, “where did you get those injuries?”</p><p> </p><p>Nagisa paused, looking down at the table as he deeply exhaled, “I-I don’t want to talk about it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Were they from some bullies? Delinquents? Main campus kids?”</p><p> </p><p>Nagisa said nothing.</p><p> </p><p>“If it was Seo and his buddies, you can tell me,” Maehara said, smirking darkly, “I remember perfectly well them trying to have a go at me during the Kaho incident. Of course, we made them pay in the end but I wouldn’t mind going for a round two.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hiroto,” Isogai reproached, “not the time. But Nagisa, if someone from our school did this to you, I would really appreciate it if you told us.”</p><p> </p><p>Still nothing.</p><p> </p><p>“Nagisa?”</p><p> </p><p>…</p><p> </p><p>“Bro?”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Nagisa finally whispered, it was so small that if the other teenagers weren’t sitting directly  beside or opposite him, they probably wouldn’t have heard him, “it wasn’t someone from school.”</p><p> </p><p>“From another school?” Maehara offered.</p><p> </p><p>Nagisa shook his head.</p><p> </p><p>“I see,” was all Isogai said.</p><p> </p><p>“Does this have anything to do with what you’re wearing?” Maehara asked, “because-”</p><p> </p><p>“<em> I don’t want to talk about it </em>,” Nagia repeated, more firmly this time.</p><p> </p><p>Realising that they weren’t going to be getting anywhere soon, Isogai said, “Alright, let’s not talk about it. We can’t let you go home though, not until the rain’s cleared up, at least.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry for ruining whatever plans the two of you had,” Nagisa murmured. He seemed to find a spot on the table very interesting.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re not ruining anything, Nagisa,” Isogai stated.</p><p> </p><p>“Exactly,” Maehara agreed, “I normally come here before Isogai finishes his shift anyway. I usually just wait here by myself for an hour until he’s done then he spends his break with me and then I stay until it’s time for him to leave. I’m friends with the owner so he’s good with me hanging around. If anything, I’m thankful for your company.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks,” Nagisa muttered, still refusing to meet either of their gazes, “for this - for everything. You didn’t have to do all of this and I-I know that you guys are worried for me and want to help but I’m just-I’m just not ready to talk about all of this. Not yet, at least.”</p><p> </p><p>“We understand that,” Isogai explained kindly, the usual twinkle in his eyes returning full-force, “But you must know that we care about you. Maehara and I. Us seeing you hurt is not something we take lightly. And you don’t just have us; you have everyone else in our class and Koro-Sensei and Karasuma-Sensei - I’m pretty sure that even B***h-Sensei would help you if you asked her to. It’s the least we could do for all that you’ve done for us. I’m pretty sure I would’ve gone crazy or Kataoka would’ve killed someone if you aren’t there to keep the peace.”</p><p> </p><p>“He’s right,” Maehara chipped in, throwing an arm around Nagisa’s sodden shoulders and grinning at him, “you’re like the nicest and sweetest guy ever. If you told me that singing birds help you get ready for school every morning I would wholeheartedly believe you. We all have your back, got it? You’re not in this alone.”</p><p> </p><p>Nagisa smiled at them, though it did kind of resemble a grimace, a hue of rosy pink spreading across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose, “heh, thanks. To be honest, guys, I’m just really tired right now.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well if you’re tired you could just go to sleep,” Maehara suggested, “we’re going to be here a while.”</p><p> </p><p>When Nagisa started to doze off, his sodden head resting on Maehara’s shoulder, the blonde looked at his best friend since Elementary School, “what should we do, Yuuma?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not sure,” Isogai replied, “we can’t make him open up if he doesn’t feel comfortable with it but if he’s in danger we can’t let this go on. The best thing we can do right now is be there for him and wait for him to be ready to tell us what he can. Oh - looks like some new customers are coming. Are you alright with sitting here?”</p><p> </p><p>Maehara smiled, “Sure I am. Go ahead, Yuuma. Go charm the world with your dazzling looks.”</p><p> </p><p>Isogai rolled his eyes good-naturedly. He swiftly stood up and just as he was passing his boyfriend, he leaned down and placed a kiss onto his cheek, “Love you.”</p><p> </p><p>“I love you too.”</p><p> </p><p>As long as they had each other, everything would be alright.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Drabble Dump III</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>AAAACK sorry for the lack of updates. Life had to be stupid so I was forced to stop writing for about a month - every day I had to spend abandoning my WIPS was torture and I literally had writing withdrawal. BUT NOW I'M BACK SO YAY</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>I Feel Alive, I Feel The Love: Karmagisa</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa hummed in contentment as he strolled up the mountain, one hand, that was interlaced with Karma’s, was swinging up and down in tandem with his steps and the other was holding onto the blue bubblegum ice lolly that he was licking with swift movements of his tongue. The two of them walked in silence, the only sounds that could be heard were the chattering of woodland animals and the crispy crunches of the golden leaves that were trodden under their feet. Karma, who was the one leading them towards the spot that the two of them knew so well - their very own hiding spot in the E-Class mountain, looked back at him with his usual smirk and air of cocky self-confidence but his eyes held the fondness for his partner that would always show itself whenever the two of them had their private moments. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, Nagi,” Karma half-pleaded half-whined, “let’s go faster already.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m nearly finished, Karma,” Nagisa laughed, “while I don’t want this to melt all over my hands, I don’t think I can just down it all in one go like you did. What’s the rush anyway?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have something to show you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I see,” the bluenette smiled, “this wouldn’t have anything to do with the secret surprise you were telling me about yesterday, will it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ll see,” was the other’s reply, “now come on or I’ll have no choice but to carry you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa shook his head before biting off the last of his popsicle. Shuddering at the sharp biting of coldness at the edges of his brain, he said, “all right then, let’s go.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By the time the two of them had reached the area that had been ingrained into the depths of their minds, the late sun was already swimming in light pink and orange clouds, tattooing the grass with tiger stripes of warm amber. Karma took hold of Nagisa’s wrist and gently led him towards a tree. A tree of which made Nagisa gasp audibly. Securely tied onto a low branch were two pieces of rope that were punctured through a tyre that hovered horizontally above the ground. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So,” Karma said, shoving his hands into his pockets and jerking his head towards the swing, “what do you think?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do I - it’s amazing,” Nagisa breathed out, inspecting the contraption with awe, “did you really come here to make this yourself?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma shrugged, “yeah, I saw someone do it on a TV show and thought ‘why not give it a try?’. It wasn’t that hard to be honest.” he gave a crooked smile, “wanna have a go on it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Me? I-yeah, I’d love to,” Nagisa smiled. He walked over to it and placed himself down onto the tyre, holding onto the ropes that stood on either side of him. His posture made the blue straps of his overalls dig uncomfortably into his shoulders, but he found himself not caring a bit, not when Karma had positioned himself behind him and took hold of the ropes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ready?” he heard the redhead call.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa held on tighter, “yep.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He felt himself get pulled back before a shove onto the curve of his back sent him propelling forwards and upwards, making him whoop with glee as he kicked his feet out and his hair flew behind him. His laughter seemed to be infectious because he could hear the amused chuckles of his boyfriend every time he felt that launch pushing him towards the sky. When the pushing had stopped, Nagisa’s giggling had continued, only subsiding when he felt a presence tower over him. Looking up, he paused and felt his breath catch in his throat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma stood before him and was leaning forwards, wrapping each of his palms onto a piece of rope so that the smaller boy was bracketed with his form. Nagisa could feel his heartbeat quicken, both at the close proximity of their faces (their noses were practically touching!) and at the way the late afternoon sun gilded Karma’s features, at the way it set his blazing red hair aflame with paining amber luminescence on each strand, at the way the hazy oranges made his golden irises all the more overpowering and alluring, at the way the honey-coloured light caught onto and highlighted his skin in a way that only showcased how extraordinary lucky Nagisa was to be the one to have caught his attention. It truly astounded him how soft the devil of the class could look, and all that softness was directed at him, Shiota Nagisa, the guy who can’t even reach the top of the blackboard on his tiptoes. Feeling a bit bold, and also so that he could stabilise himself on this shaking swing, he wrapped his denim clad legs around his boyfriend, drawing him in closer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Nagisa whispered, “for taking me here. For making this for me. I really do love it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma smiled, “anything for you, Nagisa. Although I do have one thing I have to ask.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Which is?” Nagisa raised an eyebrow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma gave him a once-over with his eyes, “what were you thinking wearing an ensemble like this? Do you have any idea how adorable you look? How much it makes me want to kiss you breathless?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa laughed, “if that’s what you want, then by all means go ahead.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The red head smirked, “You know, Nagi. You were eating a blue popsicle earlier.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And I was eating a red one.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes. And…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well,  why don’t we see if those primary school lessons were any good and really test if red and blue make purple?”</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>The Other Night (As I Lay Sleeping): Karmagisa and Maeiso (basically the plot is E-Class simping over Isogai and Nagisa)</strong>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god, I can’t believe it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is this what heaven looks like?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I would like to thank whatever god is listening for blessing me with this image.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s so pure, I can’t help but not look away.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please tell me someone got a picture?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shh, guys, shut up or you’ll wake them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first thing that Karma and Maehara heard were the hushed whispers and muffled words of awe when they entered the inn room after their shower. After a long day of sight seeing and assassination attempting, 3-E were more than ready to turn in for a good night of sleep. However, seeing as they were split into two large rooms by gender and each room had a limited number of facilities for the students to bathe themselves, they all had to go in turns. Once names were drawn out of a box, Karma and Maehara were somehow chosen to be the last two to use the bathroom so the two of them were prepared to come back to the room to find the rest of their male peers to be doing whatever they usually did whenever the class went on trips like this. What they didn’t expect was to come in to find the other teenagers huddled around something that was blocked from their view.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oi,” Karma called when he was unable to find his usual blue-haired companion so that he could explain what was going on, “what are you all staring at.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It better not be anything dirty,” Maehara teased, “you remember what Kataoka did when she found Okajima’s magazines.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Normally, Okajima would’ve taken offense or would very dramatically burst into tears of woe but now his attention seemed to be taken hostage by whatever had the entire class enthralled, Karma and Maehara looked at each other. Weird.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright,” Karma huffed, “that’s it. What’s gotten all of you acting like a bunch of zombies?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He drove through the throng of classmates, pushing and shoving with disregard until he reached the front. His eyes caught onto the sight before him and he paused, breath hitching, just barely catching onto Maehara’s posture stiffening beside him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lying onto the two large futons in front of him were Nagisa and Isogai, both fast asleep. Isogai was lying on his side with his palms pillowing his cheek and Nagisa’s head was resting on the Ikeman’s thighs, his petite form curled up into a squashed ‘s’ shape and his undone pigtails cascading like a baby blue waterfall down his scalp. Both of them were breathing very softly and their plain white sleeping yukatas were draped around onto the floor surrounding them as they serenely dozed, chests rising and falling with every breath. They looked so soft and angelic and the class could practically see the spotlight of heavenly light shining down on their virtually glowing, ethereal forms, and could just about hear the angelic choir and strums of melodic harps in the background. How they were blessed to have not one but two cherubs with them, they didn’t know but they were so glad to be so damn lucky.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I could die right now and I won’t be upset,” Yoshida said, dazedly, his eyes trained onto the picture of pure innocence, wholesomeness and tranquility.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kimura nodded dumbly as Okajima gave the motorcycle lover a firm pat on the shoulder with a solemn mutter of, “I feel you, man. I feel you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just, how?” Muramatsu asked no one in particular.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Their ways shall forever remain an enigma,” Sugaya shook his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re not worthy,” Mimura gasped, “our eyes are not pure enough to gaze upon them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Guys we’re gonna wake them up if we keep on talking,” Sugino warned, even though he himself had yet to tear his eyes from his best friend and class representative, “Karma, Maehara, don’t you two agree.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whaa - oh yeah,” Maehara replied, seemingly shaking himself out of whatever trance he was in. He gave Karma a nudge, “you wouldn’t want these guys to disturb their sleep, do you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma gave everyone a glare, “don’t you even think about it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“God, it’s so not fair,” Okajima despaired, hands waving frantically as he gestured towards the sleeping duo, “do you guys have any idea how lucky you are to be dating them?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘You have no idea,’ was what they thought.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Pure Bliss: Karmagisa</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The gentle pressure of Karma’s dexterous fingers weaving through the long silken strands of his baby blue hair eased a contented sigh from the smaller boy as he snuggled closer against the warm expanse of his boyfriend’s chest. Stray wisps of cyan lightly tickled the underside of the redhead’s chin, eliciting an airy chuckle from said redhead as he tightened his embrace on the boy on top of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The late afternoon sun hung low and lazily in the swathe of amber and pale pinks that streaked the endless Tokyo sky, it’s hazy orange rays painting the reclining couple with strokes of glowing warmth that was countered by the mild breeze that made grass blades and flowers twirl and dance and sent spiraling sakura blossoms and fluffy dandelion seeds flying elegantly through the blissful air. The two of them continued to rest on the hammock supporting them, the steady swings that Karma propelled doing nothing but reinforcing the tranquility that enwrapped them. It was Karma’s idea, to come to the mountain that the two spent every day learning how to be better students and assassins, to tie a hammock (that he just happened to have lying around - it’s not like he was scrolling through pinterest for date ideas or anything) onto two of the sturdiest trees he could find before lying down onto the fabric and dragging Nagisa on top of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And that’s what the pair of them spent the last ten minutes doing, lying in the comfort of each other’s embrace, listening to nothing but the tranquil sounds of the surrounding woodland creatures and each other’s deep exhales and synchronised heartbeats. As one of Karma’s hands continued carding through his boyfriend’s locks, the other rested at the end of an arm that was wrapped around the smaller male’s upper back, allowing its fingers to trace abstract shapes onto the sides of the rib cage that was under that thin cardigan. Karma watched Nagisa with fondness, still to this very second wondering how someone as violent and sadistic as him could manage to get the epitome of goodness and purity to agree to be his other half, to be the one that gets the honour to brag and flaunt to the world that he was the one that Nagisa chose to be with (not that he saw Nagisa as an object or trophy - no way whatsoever). Nagisa was an angel that drew people in with soft smiles, gentle hands and comforting eyes, he attracted people with a personality so beautiful it was the only thing that could overshadow his looks, whereas Karma was the devil that repelled others with cruel taunts, sarcastic smirks and bloodied hands that would itch for a fight - it truly was unbelievable how they got together. All of his life, he thought of himself as invincible, untouchable, above his peers in every way but that was before he met that shy little blunette that stutters over every other word and can’t reach the top third of the blackboard on his tiptoes. Isn’t that a laugh? For his weakness to be 159 cm tall and clad in oversized baggy sweaters. And what a weakness he is; Nagisa’s bright blue eyes and heavenly smile could make him lose all composure in a way that he himself isn’t sure of why.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shiota Nagisa. His Kryptonite. Only instead of killing him under long-exposure, the only side-effect he feels in Nagisa’s presence is incomparable euphoria.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Nagisa’s soft voice cut through his musings. When he was brought back to reality, he noticed that the blunette’s head, that was previously resting on his chest, now looked up so that he could stare right at those dazzling cerulean eyes that he adored so much. It was only too easy to return the gentle smile that was directed at him, “what are you thinking about?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just about how cute you are,” was his reply, punctuating the end of that sentence with a soft boop onto the other’s nose with his finger. At Nagisa’s cross-eyed pout (that was so adorable it would put all of the puppies and kittens in the world to shame) at the brief contact, he laughed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“‘m not cute,” the other mumbled, cheeks dusted with a light pink as he looked away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mhm,” Karma hummed, currently making plans to steal Sugaya’s watercolours that he leaves at the classroom’s cabinets to see if it was possible to create a shade of blue as close to Nagisa’s irises as possible - and then maybe see if it was possible to paint his bedroom wall with watercolours (hey, don’t judge him, he’s a boy in love - if anything it’s Nagisa’s fault for having eyes that were so damn entrancing).</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s getting late,” the owner of said eyes observed, his voice so quiet, Karma knew that his words are for his ears only, “maybe we should head back?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you want to?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Honestly, I don’t care what we do. I just want to be with you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I was thinking the same thing. It’s like we were made for each other.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa’s gentle giggles were all the redhead heard before the former once again placed his head back down. Karma tightened his hold on his blueberry, as if daring the universe to try and take him away. He’s never letting go of Nagisa and if anyone comes too close to his little piece of perfection, he’ll slice their head off before they could even blink. He may not know why he was given the honour of being the one to stand by Nagisa’s side but there’s no way in hell he’s ever going to give that up.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Pumpkins, Pumpkins</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hey guys,” Kimura said, “does anyone know where Koro-Sensei and Sugaya are?”</p><p>Nagisa hummed from his crouched position as he continued to treat a pretty nasty graze under Okajima’s knee. The blunette continued to gently dab the wound when he piped up, “I heard that the two of them are planning a surprise for us - hold still please, Okajima, I’m going to put a plaster on now.”</p><p>“‘A surprise?’” Okano repeated, tilting her head in confusion, “wonder what it is.”</p><p>“Well knowing Sugaya it’s got to be something artsy,” Mimura suggested, “maybe we’re all going to be painting a mural?”</p><p>“I hope not,” Kayano sighed, “I’m afraid that the most artistic thing I can do is a hand turkey.”</p><p>Fortunately, their suspense was short lived because the very subject appeared before them, carrying a small pumpkin in his hands, accompanied by their teacher. It was clear that the two of them had just arrived from a trip that was travelled at Mach-20, if the artist’s windswept hair was anything to go by, but the question of where was plaguing everyone’s mind.</p><p>“So, Sugaya,” Mimura said, “where did the two of you go.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Okajima nodded, “we heard that there was a surprise.”</p><p>“Well,” Sugaya said, ducking his head sheepishly, “you heard right.”</p><p>“OOHH,” Kurahashi squealed, jumping up and down, “WHAT IS IT? WHAT IS IT?”</p><p>“I’ll give you a hint,” he replied, laughing at the girl’s never-ending enthusiasm. He held up the pumpkin in his hands, “it’s got something to do with this.”</p><p>“Are we gonna bake pumpkin pie,” Hara asked, eyes sparkling with excitement.</p><p>“No, pumpkin ramen,” Muramatsu countered.</p><p>“Hey, I’d be down for some pumpkin curry buns,” Yoshida said.</p><p>“What, no,” Sugaya shook his head before the class broke out into a fight, “We’re not gonna eat them, guys. We’re gonna carve them.”</p><p>“EHHH?” From nowhere a gust of wind gushed around them, sweeping up their clothes and hair in a miniature whirlwind. Quicker than they could blink, the class found themselves surrounded by propped up wooden tables, each having their own personal pumpkin decorating station complete with carving equipment, poster paints and stencils.</p><p>“Wow, that was fast, Sir,” Sugaya smiled at his tentacled teacher.</p><p>“Oh this is nothing,” Koro-Sensei beamed, “what good is having a top speed of Mach 20 if I can’t use it to help my students get their creative juices flowing?</p><p>“Really?” Terasaka crossed his arms and grumbled, “We’re gonna be decorating vegetables now?”</p><p>“Oh stop acting all tough, Terasaka,” Fuwa scoffed, “I know for a fact that you’ve cried during Kimi No Na Wa.”</p><p>The class burst into full-blown chortles, choked laughter and muffled giggles as Terasaka turned red and spluttered, “What the hell, Fuwa?!”</p><p>Fuwa smirked and held up a peace sign, “call it an otaku’s instinct.”</p><p>Karma smirked as he rubbed his hands together with glee, “ooh, this will be fun.”</p><p>“Uhh,” Kimura sweat-dropped at Karma’s devilish aura. The rest of the class' wary eyes widened at the swinging tail and sharp horns that seemed to protrude out of him, “is it really a good idea to have so many sharp objects around when Karma’s here?”</p><p>“Don’t worry,” Nagisa reassured everyone, apparently being the only person unbothered by the redhead’s questionable behaviour, “I’ll make sure that no one gets hurt.”</p><p>“Well, children,” Koro-Sensei said, “what are you waiting for? Go and have fun.”</p><p>And with that they all ran towards the tables, absolutely buzzing to get started.</p><p>…</p><p>Nagisa placed his small pumpkin on the tabletop next to Sugino. The black haired boy in question, who had obtained the most spherical-looking pumpkin he could find, was currently covering its entire surface with white paint.</p><p>“Hey, Nagisa,” Sugino smiled, “what are you going to do?”</p><p>Nagisa hummed, “Well, I’m not the best with a knife but I’m going to try carving a face. If all else fails, I can just paint on some superhero symbols and call it a day. You?”</p><p>“I’m turning this thing into a giant baseball.”</p><p>The blunette smiled, “yeah, that sounds about right.”</p><p>After an hour and a half, one miniature war between a certain group of students who were flinging pumpkin pulp at others (mainly Karma aiming at Terasaka, to be honest), and one dramatic rendition of Total Eclipse of the Heart courtesy of Okajima and Maehara, the class had completed their pumpkin carving activity and were all admiring each other’s handiwork. The girls had gathered around Kurahashi and Yada’s pumpkin and were fawning over it’s adorableness. The two girls had used their knife skills to carve a window and door to create a quaint little home for the tiniest little pumpkin they could find, that Kurahashi had drawn a smiley face on with a black marker. </p><p>“His name is ‘Kabo-chan’ and he is our son,” Kurahashi was telling everyone proudly with Yada nodding next to her (it’s a play on words - according to google translate ‘kabocha’ is japanese for pumpkin).</p><p>Meanwhile, others were having their own kind of fun.</p><p>“Wow, Terasaka, I’ve got to say that your pumpkin looks positively gruesome - oh wait nevermind,” Karma smiled ‘innocently’ as he corrected his apparent ‘mistake’, “that’s just your face.”</p><p>“What the hell, Akabane,” Terasaka growled as he took a step forward, “why don’t you just go and f*** off. Or better yet, grow a pair and actually tell Nagisa how you feel instead of-”</p><p>Due to the fact that Kanzaki’s praise of his baseball pumpkin had rendered Sugino speechless and the tan skinned boy looked like he was going to pass out, Nagisa was preoccupied and therefore unable to prevent the fight that had broken out after Karma dunked a bucket of pumpkin guts over Terasaka’s head.</p><p>Kayano giggled, “I’m surprised you didn’t paint sushi rolls onto yours, Nagisa.”</p><p>“I did consider it,” the blue-haired boy replied, shrugging sheepishly. He had scrapped his original idea of carving and just ended up sharing Sugino’s white paint which he used to cover his own pumpkin as well, before using black paint to paint on two spots connected by a line to resemble Baymax’s face. It wasn’t as creative as his classmates’, like Nakamura’s puking pumpkin guts idea, or Kimura’s and Okano’s pumpkin that had the words ‘BEING NAMED JUSTICE’ and ‘SCHOOL’ carved on respectively, or the many other scary faces that were displayed but he wasn’t really the artistic type anyways.</p><p>“Holy hell, Sugaya,” Yoshida’s voice exclaimed, “that’s a frickin masterpiece.”</p><p>Growing curious at the source of the motorcycle lover’s awe, Nagisa and Sugino made their way towards the cluster of students who had gathered around Sugaya’s workstation, only to be faced with something that made their breaths catch: meticulously carved onto the husk of his large orange vegetable was an outline of the E-class building. Sugaya’s skillful hands had used the tools provided to create an image that was so carefully drawn, it looked almost lifelike, with thick bold lines that made the picture look three-dimensional. He had even found a way to somehow only shave off the outer epidermis of the skin to use the light yellow under it to give the illusion of light and shadow. It was times like this when Nagisa wondered how E-Class was seen as harbouring the lowest of the low when it was filled with people who were brimming with so much talent that it would put adults to shame.</p><p>“Oh my god,” Nakamura breathed as she snapped a picture on her phone.</p><p>“Now that’s a pumpkin,” Mimura stated with pure admiration.</p><p>“Wow Sugaya, it’s amazing,” Kayano said, “I have no idea how you were able to do it in like an hour. I was only able to get a smiley face done.”</p><p>“It is really nice,” Nagisa commented.</p><p>“Oh thanks, Nagisa. By the way, I’ve got another pumpkin I think you might like.”</p><p>Ignoring Okajima’s disbelieving cry of “YOU MADE ANOTHER ONE?!”, Sugaya bent down and handed Nagisa the miniature pumpkin he was holding earlier. Groaning slightly at the increased weight that was placed in his arms, Nagisa turned the pumpkin around to find that it had a snake carved onto its skin. He huffed out a laugh, “That’s amazing. I love it.”</p><p>“Oh my god,” Nakamura laughed, “snake boy gets a snake pumpkin.”</p><p>The class burst into laughter as Nagisa blushed.</p><p>“WHO WANTS TO SEE MY PUMPKIN?” Koro-Sensei’s gleeful voice broke through the crowd. The class turned towards him and immediately paused at the sight that greeted them. Sitting on the floor at one meter was the largest pumpkin they had ever seen and carved onto it was a recreation of Michaelangelo’s famous painting of ‘The Creation Of Adam’ only the bodies of God and Adam were replaced by Koro-Senseis, who were wearing billowing robes and heads of flowing hair, very intimately touching tentacle-tips. Surrounding them were tiny Koro-Sensei’s in cherubic attire, complete with harps and angel wings. The artist himself started tearing up, “ISN’T IT BREATH-TAKING?”</p><p>A beat passed...</p><p>“WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!”</p><p>“That has got to be the weirdest thing I’ve seen all day,” Kimura deadpanned.</p><p>Okajima looked disturbed, “It’s so strange that I can’t help but look at it.”</p><p>Sugino nodded, “It’s going to be in my nightmares for days.”</p><p>“Talk about over-kill,” Maehara commented.</p><p>Koro-Sensei burst into tears at their criticism, “WHY MUST YOU CHILDREN BE SO CRUEL?!”</p><p>Rolling his eyes at his teacher’s melodramatic wails, Sugaya addressed the class, with a nervous smile, “so, did you guys have fun?”</p><p>“Yep.”</p><p>“Totally.”</p><p>“It was awesome.”</p><p>“Yeah, I guess it was alright.”</p><p>“I definitely enjoyed myself.”</p><p>“It was a great idea, Sugaya.”</p><p>“Yeah dude, we should definitely do this again sometime.”</p><p>The silver haired boy blushed at all of the positive reinforcement he was getting, “Thanks guys. To be honest, I’ve always wanted to do this for a while but I couldn’t imagine doing it without you guys.” </p><p>“Aww, Sugaya,” Kurahashi hugged him, “that’s really sweet.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Okano chimed, “class activities are always fun.”</p><p>“It’s never a boring day in our weirdly dysfunctional family,” Nakamura smirked.</p><p>“I’m keeping these knives.”</p><p>“Karma, no.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. I'm In Love With You (And Now You Know)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Pairing: Sugino x Nagisa</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <a href="https://assclass-vibes.tumblr.com/post/621421796114235392/ooh-ooh-for-the-rairpair-headcanons-could-you-do"> This is kinda based on this headcanon I read a few months back that said that Sugino loves it when Nagisa sings for him </a>
</p><p> </p><p>The song I used is ‘I Like You So Much, You’ll Know It’ by Ysabelle Cuevas because it’s so wholesome and adorable and I love it bc I reminded me so much of SugiNagi</p><p> </p><p>“It’s okay, Sugino,” Nagisa said softly as he continued to card his fingers through the raven strands that sat on his boyfriend’s head. He sat cross-legged on the pale yellow tablecloth they were using as a makeshift picnic blanket with Sugino lying on the ground beside him with his head resting on the blunette’s lap. Surrounding them were boxes filled with sushi and grilled chicken breast, his and Sugino’s favourite foods respectively. The ebony haired boy just hummed non committedly, refusing to say anything in response, causing the older to sigh. The dejection the baseball lover possessed was so evident that it was palpable and all it took was one single glance at the way Sugino’s head hung low after the match ended, at the way those navy eyes he loved so much looked so downcast even from where he was sitting in the bleachers, for Nagisa to wrap the taller boy in a hug. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Sugino,” Nagisa said when he approached the boy, who was sitting on a bench that sat at the perimeter of the playing field. The plastic water bottle in the tan-skinned boy's hand looked like it was going to break under that crushing grip, “come on, let’s go.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I don’t really feel like doing anything right now, Nagisa,” Sugino murmured, still refusing to look up. Nagisa could feel the cracks forming in his heart at the sight of the other boy, who’s usual puppy-like enthusiasm never failed to put a smile on his face, looking so disheartened. He crouched down in an attempt to meet the other’s gaze. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Come on, Sugino. I brought chicken breast. Your favourite,” no response, “please can you just come with me, just for a moment. You don’t have to do anything or speak or anything you don’t feel comfortable doing but I don’t want to leave you alone. Not now, not ever so can you please come? For me?” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> The hopeful inflection of his voice was able to make the baseball lover look at him. The expression of pure sadness was still evident on his face, “Shindo-” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I spoke with him and he says that it’s okay for you to leave without the team.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> Sugino looked at Nagisa, giving the shorter boy a once over and taking in how the blunette was decked out in a too big baseball jersey - </em> his <em> spare baseball jersey - with his high school’s name and his number on it. The small smile that was being offered to him seemed to make him crack. He exhaled deeply, “sure, Nagisa. I’ll go with you.” </em></p><p> </p><p>So that’s how they ended up here, having a picnic in a small clearing in the middle of a sunflower field, basking under the late afternoon Tokyo sun. It was actually supposed to be a surprise. Earlier that day when Nagisa was packing the bag he was going to bring with him to watch Sugino’s baseball match against a rival high school, he was sure that a nice late lunch-slash-early dinner in the field he found near the school on Google Maps would be a great way to congratulate the other teenager for winning a game after weeks of hard work at practice, he was even going to make a congratulatory cake - which in hindsight was a good idea to scrap since, well...</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not, Nagisa,” Sugino whispered, “If I didn’t throw that lousy pitch the other school wouldn’t have got the point. Now my team can’t go to Nationals and it’s all my fault.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s <em> not </em> your fault.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes it is,” Sugino’s sadness was so overpowering that it made even the proudly standing sunflowers that encompassed them seem to wilt miserably, “you were there in the stands, you saw what happened. My pitch wasn’t good enough and the other team scored the winning point because of it. I had one job and I messed that up.”</p><p> </p><p>“Just because you lost once doesn’t mean that it’s the end,” Nagisa said, “You’re one of the most talented people I know. So what if you fell down? Just pick yourself up and continue. And if you can’t get up by yourself then you have me and everyone else around to get you off the floor. Sugino, I’ve known you for months and I don’t think I’ve met anyone that’s as passionate about baseball as you. You’re going to make it to Kōshien, I know it. You’re going to get recruited for the Nippon Professional Baseball League, beat and impress every single player out there like Arita, play for Japan in the MLB All-Stars and show the world just what Sugino Tomohito is capable of.”</p><p> </p><p>Sugino scoffed, “yeah right. Pitching is what I’m the best at but it turns out that I can’t even do <em> that </em> without flopping. God, what will everyone think of me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Everyone has their off-days,” Nagisa reassured dulcetly, “and it’s just one high school match. There’ll be other opportunities.”</p><p> </p><p>“But this was the match that would’ve sent us to the National Championship and I screwed it up. I’m such a mess up,” Sugino whispered, sounding like he was about to cry. Ignoring Nagisa’s own soft words of ‘No, you’re not’, he continued, “why do you even like me so much?”</p><p> </p><p>For a moment Nagisa was quiet, pausing his movements, and his silence made the stone that was sitting heavily in Sugino’s stomach grow and grow into a boulder, his insecurities increasing with intensity. His eyes started to close, in an attempt to block everything out, to not see the look that Nagisa was wearing.</p><p> </p><p>“<em> I like your eyes, you look away when you pretend not to care </em>.”</p><p> </p><p>Sugino’s eyes snapped open at the soft melody that sounded so similar he could tell the source from anywhere with his eyes closed. He looked up at the blue-haired boy to find him looking down at him with that small fond smile that never fails to make his heart flutter and breath catch. Nagisa opened his mouth again to whisper out the next verse, resuming the process of running his pale fingers through inky black hair.</p><p> </p><p>“<em> I like the dimples on the corners of the smile that you wear. </em></p><p>
  <em> I like you more, the world may know but don't be scared </em>
</p><p><em> 'Cause I'm falling deeper, baby, be prepared. </em>”</p><p> </p><p>Sugino must have looked dumbstruck, with his eyes wide and jaw slack as he continued to gaze up at the petite boy wearing <em> his </em> spare oversized baseball jersey and who <em> had the voice of an angel. Holy sh*t why does Nagisa have to be so frickin adorable, this isn’t fair! </em></p><p> </p><p>“<em> I like your shirt, I like your fingers </em> ,” Nagisa gently took Sugino’s hand and pressed a chaste kiss onto the skin between the joints and knuckles of his index and middle fingers before nuzzling his cheek onto them, “ <em> love the way that you smell </em>.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em> To be your favorite jacket, just so I could always be near </em></p><p>
  <em> I loved you for so long, sometimes it's hard to bear </em>
</p><p><em> But after all this time, I hope you wait and see. </em>”</p><p> </p><p>At the last word, Nagisa pulled lightly onto the hand that he was holding as he got up. Sugino followed the silent instruction, wondering what the other was planning before he was gently led away from their picnic and towards the rows of sunflowers that surrounded them. Nagisa had managed to hold onto both of his hands and was walking backwards, pulling the other along with both his soft tugging and the sugar sweet tune he was singing.</p><p> </p><p>“<em> Love you every minute, every second </em></p><p>
  <em> Love you everywhere and any moment </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Always and forever I know I can't quit you </em>
</p><p><em> 'Cause, baby, you're the one, I don't know how </em>”</p><p> </p><p>Like a moth drawn to a flame, Sugino found himself trailing towards his own beacon of blue irises that held a shine so captivating it would put the stars to shame. He remembered how when he was in Elementary school, one of his classmates was interested in mythical creatures and would talk about how sirens would lure pirates to their deaths with their songs. Well, he would gladly jump off a ship and drown if the last thing he saw was Nagisa’s bright eyes and the last thing he heard was his honey-like voice. They were just walking along as if they were the only people in the world, making their way past the sunflowers that were so tall that they overtook the blue-haired boy. However, despite being the smallest thing in this vast field of flowers, Nagisa’s presence seemed to be the largest, most powerful being and Sugino was (not so) surprised to find that the sadness that seemed to fill him earlier was completely replaced by this feeling of complete euphoria - all because of this absolutely amazing person called Shiota Nagisa.</p><p> </p><p>“<em> I love you 'til the last of snow disappears </em></p><p>
  <em> Love you 'til a rainy day becomes clear </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Never knew a love like this, now I can't let go </em>
</p><p><em> I'm in love with you, and now you know </em>”</p><p> </p><p>“Nagisa,” Sugino laughed breathlessly, feeling completely powerless against the unstoppable force that was his boyfriend’s love and affection, “what’s this all about?”</p><p> </p><p>“You asked me why I like you,” Nagisa giggled, azure eyes twinkling like the ocean under a sunset, “now hush, I’m not done.”</p><p> </p><p>The boy started to sway their interlocked hands sideways as he picked up where he left off, “<em> I like the way you try so hard when you play ball with your friends </em></p><p>
  <em> I like the way you hit the notes, in every song you're shining </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I love the little things, like when you're unaware </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I catch you steal a glance and smile so perfectly"</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Sugino found himself yelping when Nagisa unceremoniously pulled on his hands, bringing him closer to the shorter boy. Suddenly, he felt soft palms cup his cheek and tilting his head so that he was looking straight down at Nagisa’s beaming face.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>"Though sometimes when life brings me down </em>
</p><p>
  <em> You're the cure, my love </em>
</p><p>
  <em> In a bad rainy day </em>
</p><p>
  <em> You take all the worries away"</em>
</p><p> </p><p>And now they were dancing. By themselves. In the middle of the endless rows of sunflowers. Well, it was less actual dancing and more of the two of them spinning and propelling each other in a circle and making jerking movements with their hands, but Sugino found himself laughing so hard that tears were seeping out of the corners of his eyes (although, those tears might be more to do with how much he loves Nagisa than him actually laughing but semantics)</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Love you every minute, every second </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Love you everywhere and any moment </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Always and forever I know I can't quit you </em>
</p><p>
  <em> 'Cause, baby, you're the one, I don't know how </em>
</p><p>
  <em> In a world devoid of life, you bring colors </em>
</p><p>
  <em> In your eyes I see the light, my future </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Always and forever I know, I can't let you go </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I'm in love with you, and now you know” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>When Nagisa finished, Sugino couldn’t take it anymore and he just pulled the shorter boy into a crushing embrace, “you’re really awesome, you know that right? And an amazing boyfriend.”</p><p> </p><p>He could feel the other smile against the cotton of his shirt as slender arms returned the hug, “I’m just glad that you’re happier now.”</p><p> </p><p>“How could I possibly be unhappy if I have you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Ah-I.” </p><p> </p><p>“Nagisa?” Sugino leaned back a bit and found that Nagisa had pressed his face right into his chest, refusing to look at him, “are-are you okay?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” was the high-pitched reply. Sugino gripped onto the blunette’s shoulders and gently pulled him back to see that the other’s face was so red that they could rival the sweatbands that sat on his wrists.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, Nagisa, you good?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yep, I’m fine,” Nagisa squeaked, squeezing his eyes shut nodding his head so rapidly that Sugino thought that he’d get a headache.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you sure because you’re-”<br/><br/></p><p>“Yep, one hundred percent.”</p><p> </p><p>“Nagisa,” Sugino huffed out a laugh as he poked the other’s cheek, hoping to get the blunette to actually look at him, “you don’t have to be embarrassed.”</p><p> </p><p>“I-I’m not embarrassed,” he said defensively, finally opening his eyes so that he could pout at the taller boy, whispering, “I-I just-you can’t just say stuff like that, alright.”</p><p> </p><p>“What? Stuff like how you are the most incredibly amazing boyfriend ever and you always know how to make me happy.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sugino!” Nagisa whisper-yelled as he buried his face into his hands.</p><p> </p><p>Sugino laughed, prying Nagisa’s fingers away from his face, “come on. You can sing an entire song about how much you love me but I can’t give you one compliment.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s different.”</p><p> </p><p>“How?!”</p><p> </p><p>“I-I just-why don’t we just go back to our picnic. We don’t want crows getting to our sushi and chicken.”</p><p> </p><p>Sugino smiled fondly and patted Nagisa on his head, “sure thing, Nagisa.”</p><p> </p><p>Together they walked back with linked hands.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I'm in love with you, and now you know </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Pleasant Distractions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Pairing: Karmagisa</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Heeeyy, Nagisaaa,” Karma whined, draping his body over Nagisa’s back like a second coat and wrapping his arms around the shorter boy’s chest with a pout, “Come ooon. Hang out with meee.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a roll of his eyes, Nagisa turned back to his science textbook and resumed reading, doing his best to ignore the distracting noises that Karma was emitting.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>An ionic compound is a giant structure of ions</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nagisa.” He could feel tapping on his shoulder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Strong electrostatic forces of attraction between oppositely charged ions hold ionic compounds together</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Nagisa.” The tapping became more rapid.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>These forces, called ionic bonding, act in all directions in the lattice</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Naaagggiii-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa snapped his book shut and let it rest on his crossed legs. He turned his head to look at the pouting redhead behind him, “Karma, we need to study for the test we have next week. The whole reason I agreed to come to your house in the first place was because you agreed to have a study session with me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I already know everything.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well I don’t,” Nagisa retorted, “if you’re not gonna help me revise, can you at least do something quietly by yourself. I swear, if you distract me one more time, I’ll leave.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At the other’s words, Karma immediately tightened his hold around his waist and pulled him closer to his chest so that he could drop his head against the crook of Nagisa’s neck. He murmured, “I just want to spend time with my little viper. Is that too much to ask?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa reached his hand up to pet the red strands that made up Karma’s hair and replied with a smile, “I already see you everyday at school.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Nagisa shivered at the tingling sensation that was caused by the movement of Karma’s lips on the junction of his neck and collarbone, “but I wanna spend more time with you </span>
  <em>
    <span>now</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Besides we can’t do any of the fun stuff in class.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“‘Fun stuff’?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, you know: kissing, making out, mouth to mouth..”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Karma!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Nagisa whisper-yelled, blushing madly, “I really do need to study.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been studying for ages. At least take a snack break.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa sighed, knowing that his boyfriend wouldn’t be letting this go anytime soon and just not having the energy to deal with Karma when he’s in his ‘whining-mode’, “Alright, fine. Just for five minutes, though.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Keeping his hold on the smaller boy with one arm, Karma leaned sideways to grab a shopping bag that lay discarded beside them and riffled through its contents. With a smirk he offered a small muffin that was contained in plastic packaging, “blueberry muffin for my blueberry muffin?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa rolled his eyes in response then tore open the packaging to retrieve the treat inside and took a bite, giving a pleased moan and the taste of sharp, sweet blueberries and fluffy muffin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey Nagisa,” with an answering hum, he turned towards Karma, “you’ve got a little something </span>
  <em>
    <span>right here</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa blushed when he felt Karma’s warm hands cup the entirety of his cheek so that he could brush away stray crumbs (that he knew for sure didn’t even exist) with the side of his thumb. Unconsciously, he melted into the touch, feeling soft and giddy at the tingling shots of fuzziness that ran up his spine at the way Karma’s eyes seemed to soften. It was so unfair how he could become all malleable with only a single touch from Karma, how he always ends up giving in because he does not want this to become a habit, damnit. He could feel his resistance dissipating as Karma grabbed one of his shoulders to turn him around so that they were now face to face and he knew he had to act quickly before he lost the little control he had. However, to be fair, if things did go the way that he knew that Karma was planning for them to, he wasn’t a hundred percent certain that he’d actually be too upset…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But still, he used all of his energy to lean away, despite every neuron telling him to stay in that safe hold that always provided warmth and comfort and protection, “I need to study.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know,” Karma’s smile was far too innocent for his liking, “which is why I’ve decided to help you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Really?” he couldn’t keep the suspicion out of his tone if he tried.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yep,” the red-head replied, popping the ‘p’, “only I’m not gonna help you study for science.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He knew it, “okay then. What are you going to help me study for?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Something far more interesting,” Karma’s smirk turned devilish and all of a sudden, Nagisa felt like the little mouse that was begging the lion for mercy from that book of Aesop’s Fables he used to read as a kid. The taller boy leaned in, grabbing a fistful of the fabric under the collar of Nagisa’s shirt to tug him closer, and whispered into his ear, “how would you like to become a prodigy in B*tch-Sensei’s class?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa’s ponytail shot up, ruffled, as his flustered face blossomed red. He placed his palms on Karma’s chest in a feeble attempt to push him away, “I-I really don’t think I need to study for that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma’s eyes glinted, “Oh really, why’s that, Nagi? You think that you’re already good at it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“N-n-no,” he stammered, his face burning like an inferno, “I-I just don’t think that it’s necessary, you-you know? It-it’s just that high-high schools don’t exactly have </span>
  <em>
    <span>that stuff</span>
  </em>
  <span> in their entrance exams, r-right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma let out a thoughtful hum as he buried his face into the curve of Nagisa’s neck, goosebumps ran through Nagisa’s arms as he whispered, “sounds like you’re making excuses, Nagi.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-I-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma kissed his cheek, murmuring against the soft flesh of his boyfriend’s cheek, “come on, Nagisa. I know you want to~”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Loki Odinson, give him strength.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Karma,” he said, gulping slightly at the way the other’s golden irises pinned him down when he leaned back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma took hold of his chin, “Yes, Nagisa.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-I suppose that maybe a small break wouldn’t be too bad.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma’s mouth twisted into a Cheshire Cat grin and all Nagisa could see was a flash of gold before every sense was consumed by the red haired devil incarnate with one arm wrapped around his back and the other on his cheek, with the cloth of his crimson button up scrunched up in Nagisa’s hand, with the increasing pressure of their lips pressing each other. Nagisa’s eyes slid closed as he let Karma take the lead, getting lost in the way everything just flowed like things always did when he was with Karma, in the way everything just felt so </span>
  <em>
    <span>right</span>
  </em>
  <span> as Karma angled his head so that he could kiss deeper. Nagisa could feel Karma’s hand crawl up the back of his head and hook his fingers inside the curve of the hair band that sat at the base of his ponytail before swiftly pulling it down in one smooth move, causing long strands of cerulean to unfurl downwards like a cataract of silky blue locks. Getting breathless, Nagisa used whatever strength he could muster to push himself back so that he didn’t pass out completely. They both looked at each other for a split second before the magnetic force they felt inside them increased in magnitude and they found themselves kissing once again and -</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa gasped when he felt his back roughly hit the floor, wincing slightly at the loud thump it made. His head was still spinning and he looked up at Karma, who was towering above him with his palms on either side of Nagisa’s shoulders. Whilst his face was slightly pink, his eyes held concern, “sorry Nagisa. I got a bit excited there. You’re not hurt are you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine,” Nagisa laughed breathlessly. He tried to get up but found that he was still too dizzy so he flopped back onto the floor again with a groan, “and here I thought I’d get some studying done.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All he could hear was Karma’s deep chuckles before he felt himself get carried into a bridal style and deposited onto the taller boy’s bed. When Karma laid himself next to him and gathered him into an embrace, he said, “if I fail, I’m not coming to your house for at least another two weeks.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And people say I’m the mean one,” Karma said, apparently unbothered by his threat, “Guess I’ll just have to kidnap you and wait for the stockholm syndrome to settle in.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Karma!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, okay. Just five minutes alright. We can both start revising for the octopus’ stupid test then.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We were both supposed to revise anyway! But alright, if it’s just for five minutes then it’s okay.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They did not get up after five minutes.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Halloween Party Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Pairing: Karmagisa + side Maeiso</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma surveyed the transformed courtyard with slight admiration. He’s got to admit that the class doesn't do anything half-way. He didn’t really know what he was expecting when he - very reluctantly - agreed to attend 3-E’s Halloween party. Well, he says reluctantly but he knew that the moment he heard Nagisa was going to help set everything up that he wouldn’t miss this for the world. All it took was one look at the blunette’s large hopeful eyes to know that wild horses couldn’t stop him from coming - but there’s no harm in him putting on that careless air just to watch his little blueberry demurely say please in that adorale way he always does everything, with his head tilted down to hide his blush as he promised to buy him a week's supply of strawberry milk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Don’t worry, Nagi,” Karma sang, patting the shorter boy on the head, “I’m sure I can clear my schedule so don’t worry your pretty little head about it.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>His amusement at Nagisa’s indignant ‘hey’ and deepening blush was the only reason why he didn’t give Nakamura the finger when she very subtly coughed out ‘whipped’.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So here he was, decked out in his attempt at dressing up under the canopy that the class had set up about two hours beforehand - he never wore a costume for Halloween, he could send people running away screaming in his usual attire anyway (plus he found it much more fun knocking delinquents out and beating up others for treats than going door to door). He supposed he looked dressed up enough when he regarded himself in the mirror, the scarlet horns that Nakamura gave him protruded from his striking red hair, matching the swinging devil’s tail that he tied on. His usual black blazer was thrown over a cerise shirt and he was actually wearing a tie so he’s not going to let anyone say that he wasn’t trying.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He will confess that he was taken aback when he leisurely strolled towards the backyard of their classroom, only to find that it has been transformed into something that would make Pinterest addicts salivate. Standing in the middle of the place where they do PE was a large white marquee tent that had purple fairy lights taped along the inner perimeter of the canopy and cascading down the outer edges like a glowing indigo waterfall. Sitting on top of the sparkly black cloths that covered the long tables that lined the tent’s sides were all sorts of treats from savoury finger foods like pies, buns and sushi (he had the feeling that he had Nagisa to thank for that) to delectable sweets such as moshi, tarts, cookies and cupcakes - hell, there was even a chocolate fountain. Snaking up the surrounding trees and branches like vines were violet lights that illuminated the black balloons that were tied onto the bark with twirling ribbons. In between the snacks were little pieces of handmade decoration like fake spiders, tiny carved pumpkins and webs made of fluffed cotton.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Speak of the devil,” he heard a voice say behind him. He turned around to find Maehara with one hand holding a stick with a white chocolate covered marshmallow that had a scared face drawn on in black icing and the other wrapped around Isogai’s waist, looking up and down at his black and crimson ensemble with a smirk, “literally. You know that you’re supposed to dress up, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma grinned and commented, “just trying to stay in character. But look at you two. I’ve got to say that the matching costumes are adorable.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isogai blushed as Maehara preened, tilting his head up with smugness. The blond was clad in black and white-silver armour with scarlet and golden accents. A (presumably fake) sword sat sheathed in a brown leather belt with a golden buckle sat lopsided against the boy’s waist and a red cape was draped over his shoulders. The class representative had a golden crown resting on his hickory locks. Underneath a red tailcoat with gold buttons and edges was a white dress shirt and black trousers that were tucked into boots that reached halfway up to his knee. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was Okano’s idea,” Isogai explained sheepishly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It only makes sense that our Ikeman come as a prince,” Maehara said, “and of course, my liege would need his loyal knight in shining armour to stand by his side and protect him from all that comes to harm him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma smirked as Isogai rolled his eyes, “He’s been like that ever since he put on the costume.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m so thanking Hara for this,” Maehara said, “she’s a goddess with a needle. I’d expect nothing less from our class seamstress.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The redhead hummed, noticing that he has yet to see the whole reason why he decided to come to this gathering, “where’s Nagisa?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His answer came in a tanned boy decked in the black ad white Japanese baseball uniform, “The girls dragged him inside the building to ‘get ready’.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sugino took a sip of his fruit juice, “the guy showed up in a Sonic Ninja t-shirt and thought that it was good enough for a costume. The girls didn’t like that so they decided to give him one that Hara already made for him when she found out that Nagisa’s never dressed up for Halloween or been to a party before.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you know about that?” Maehara asked Karma.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What? The ‘Nagisa doesn’t do anything for Halloween’ thing or the ‘girls are dressing him up thing’?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The second thing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not really,” Karma mused, “but come to think about it, Nakamura has been acting a bit weird whenever she would talk about this whole party.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hopefully they don’t make him dress up as something embarrassing,” Isogai said with concern, “Nakamura does have a habit of going overboard.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t worry. Kanzaki and Kataoka made sure to keep an eye on them,” Sugino reassured him, “besides, Hara always makes sure that everyone is comfortable.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maehara nodded, “she’s not the class mom for nothing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yo, Karma you made it,” Kimura smiled as he made his way over to the table, clothed in Flash’s bright red suit with the golden lightning bolt sitting proudly on his chest. He nodded at everyone else, “Sugino, Maehara, Your Majesty (Isogai rolled his eyes with a smile as the rest started chuckling). Karma, Sugino, where’s Nagisa? I know that he likes superheroes and I wanna see what he thinks about my costume and I thought that he might be hanging around you guys.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“With the girls,” Sugino replied. Kimura made an ‘Ahh’ sound before moving past them to swipe a candy apple. As the rest of the boys made small-talk, Karma started to wonder about the little blue-haired boy that occupied at least fifty percent of his mind 24/7. Surely it doesn’t take this long to get dressed, right? He was just about to make his way towards the school building when he found that he no longer had to wait anyway.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh Karma~” Fuwa sang as she made her way towards him, decked out in some sort of anime cosplay. Underneath a cropped brown leather jacket that had a logo of blue and white feathery wings on one of its breast pockets was a normal white shirt that was strapped back by a thin brown leather strap that was connected to her belt. Over white leggings was a sash of brown that was wrapped crossed around her hips as well as a bunch of brown straps that were wrapped around each of her legs in some elaborate pattern, coming to an end at the base of her knee high brown leather boots, “glad that you made it. Of course, even if you didn’t I would’ve dragged you here anyways.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nice costume, Fuwa,” Sugino piped up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kimura wearily eyed the twin katanas that were strapped to either side of her waist, “Uhh, Fuwa, those aren’t actual katanas, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course they are,” Fuwa said happily, “how could I call myself an honourable member of the Survey Corps if I don’t have the weapons necessary to defend the people with?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nice,” Karma smirked with a thumbs up as the others paled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not even </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> sword is real,” Maehara said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You should’ve told me, Maehara,” she said to him, “I have plenty of swords at home. I would’ve lent you one.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m good, thanks,” he replied quickly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are the girls done with Nagisa?” Sugino asked her, “I would really appreciate having my best friend back.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, right,” Fuwa stated with a snap of her fingers, “that’s what I came here for. Yeah, we’re done. He’ll be coming out now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma’s interest grew, “what did you ladies put him in? He doesn’t normally like dressing up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Which is why we bribed him with five sushi platters from that chain he likes,” she waved him off before shaking a finger at him, “And patience, young grasshopper, all will be revealed soon.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s just a costume,” Sugino’s tone was incredulous, “I really don’t think all of this secrecy is necessary.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just let me have this, Sugino.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sugino opened his mouth to respond before they all heard Okajima’s shout of, “Holy hell, Nagisa. You look amazing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boys all whipped their heads towards the direction of the noise as Nakamura’s voice was heard saying, “doesn’t he?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And so it begins,” Fuwa narrated in an ominous timbre.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why are you speaking like that?” Sugino asked her dryly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She glared at him and pointed a threatening finger at him, “I swear to Yato if you say one more thing I’ll show just what these katanas can do.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Meanwhile, Karma was moving through the crowds to get to Nagisa, unapologetically pushing and shoving (“OI,” Terasaka yelled when he was propelled towards a nearby food table and nearly landed face-first into a pumpkin pie) to get closer to the only reason why he showed up to begin with. When he came right in front of the blunette, he opened his mouth in greeting only to find himself gaping dumbly at the sight before him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shiota Nagisa, his beautiful angel of a boyfriend, was dressed up as...an angel. The tunic, dress pants and flowing silk robe was pure white but it was accentuated with silver embellishments. His hair was out and rested on his shoulders, apart from a section that was combed back into a small half-bun at the back of his head. Swirling along his pale forehead was a silver circlet that matched the glinting silver thread that was interwoven through the feathery wings that sat on his upper back. With his eyes glimmering, skin and clothes almost luminescent from the surrounding softly glowing eyes and robes slightly billowing in the mild breeze, he looked more like an empyrean, celestial piece of art than some human junior high student.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa smiled sheepishly, blushing at the way he seemed to capture everyone’s attention, “uuh, hi.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma just continued to stare at him, seeming to still be lost in a trance. He was a very lucky man.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa looked worried at Karma’s continued silence. He walked up to him and waved a hand in front of his face, “uhh Karma? Are you okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma blinked and snapped himself out of whatever state he was in, “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. You-you look different.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nakamura adjusted the black cat ears on her head in an attempt to disguise her choked up laughter at the sight of the school prodigy losing his composer due to the smallest, weakest looking boy in the class. Ahh, young love.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa blushed and looked down, “yeah, the girls wanted me to dress up and promised it won’t be anything girly so I thought ‘why not’. It’s our first Halloween together and the last we’ll have in Junior High, after all. You look great by the way. I didn’t think that you’d actually dress up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What were you telling me and Isogai about cute matching costumes, Karma?” Maehara teased with a yell.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shut the hell up,” Karma glared at him, choosing not to be immature and mockingly adding ‘Isogai and me’. He turned to Nagisa and slung an arm over his shoulder to pull him closer in order to whisper in the shorter’s ear, “how about you and I go out for a bit of a walk.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I literally just turned up,” the blunette pointed out in confusion.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, you’ve been here long enough,” Karma said. He turned to the rest of the class, “see you later everyone, we’ll be leaving now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Karma!” Nagisa admonished, ducking out of his hold.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nrfufufufu, going so soon, Karma?” Koro-Sensei appeared from nowhere, dressed in all black, “but we were just about to play some games.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you meant to be, Sir?” Nagisa asked him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m a ninja,” their teacher answered proudly, his head held high and beaming.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t see it,” Kimura said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“WHAA-” Koro-Sensei burst into tears, “BUT I TRIED SO HARD!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A one and a half metre tall bumblebee, who actually turned out to be Kurahashi, piped up, “Come on guys, let’s have some fun. I wanna do some apple bobbing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As most of the class had congregated around a few barrels filled with water and apples, cheering on those that were dunking their heads in, the rest were chatting by the drinks table.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not too sure if I dressed up enough,” Okuda said shyly, fiddling with the ends of one of her braids. She came dressed as a witch, with a ruffled black dress and pointy hat, “everyone else here looks really good.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“At least you put in more effort than Muramatsu,” Hazama said. The Gothic literature lover went all out, being the resident dark soul of E Class. Her face was painted pale white with hints of black and dark grey around her eyes and on her mouth, giving her the appearance of a ghoul. Her long, flowing black hooded cape of that enveloped her black shirt - that had lacy spiderweb patterns covering its surface and her arms - made her look like a dementor from one of those Harry Potter movies.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Muramatsu, who had turned up with a sheet with two eye holes messily cut out thrown over his head, spluttered, “I was busy and didn’t have the time to buy or make a proper costume.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You are a disgrace,” Hazama deadpanned, “I hereby disown you as my friend.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hazama, did you just admit that we’re your friends?” Yoshida smirked with his arms crossed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The ebony haired girl shrugged, “Well, I need some people to practice my curses and bring to my seances with and the undertaker at the graveyard is busy. Plus, my restraining orders make it hard to meet people.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everyone turned to stare at her as she took an unbothered sip of her pomegranate juice through a straw.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think you look really nice, Okuda,” Nagisa smiled kindly at her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Kayano nodded, the white bunny ears on her head bouncing up and down, “honestly, it suits you, what with you being such a chemistry whizz and all.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A series of whoops and hollers broke out from those apple bobbing and everyone began clapping. Those who weren’t involved in the game swiveled their heads towards the noise just in time to see Okajima emerge his face from the water with an apple in his mouth, his dripping head held up with smugness. Those who were competing against him were gaping at him in awe.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Holy s*it, Okajima,” Kimura wiped his sodden face with the back of his arms, “how the hell did you get thirty apples in one and a half minutes?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Okajima curtsied shakily. He surprised everyone by dressing up as Little Red Riding Hood, leggings, school girl shoes, knee-length dress with a criss-cross corset and all. Honestly, it suited him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So now what?” Mimura asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anyone up for Spin the Bottle?” Okajima suggested.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ABSOLUTELY NOT!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hayami, who was dressed as Robin Hood, pointed her bow and arrow at his chest, “just try it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“WHAT THE HELL, HAYAMI?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>xxxx Time skip brought to you by me not knowing a thing about Halloween parties  xxxx</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Nagisa,” Karma crooned when they were all sitting on the grass during their snack break, “do you want a chocolate covered strawberry?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa took another bite of his sushi (“Seriously, dude?” Sugino had rolled his eyes fondly when he saw his best friend’s sushi-covered plate, “there’s literally tables of food and you </span>
  <em>
    <span>still</span>
  </em>
  <span> go for the sushi?”) and replied with a smile, “uhh, sure Karma, thanks.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright then,” Karma gave a Cheshire Cat grin. He held the food in question up in front of the blunette’s mouth, “say aaahhh~”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Terasaka, who was forced to come as a werewolf by his little sister, started grumbling at the display, “God, Akabane, get a f**king room, would ya? You’re making me lose my appetite.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karma smirked at him, “now don’t get jealous because I have an awesome loving relationship and no one with a brain cell would ever go near you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY A**HOLE?!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Geez, Terasaka, chill out why don’t you” Karma through his strawberry straight at Terasaka. The fruit slid down from his forehead to his chin, leaving a liquid chocolate trail on his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“OI, WATCH IT!” In retaliation, Terasaka threw cupcakes at Karma, who easily dodged so it hit Kayano instead, smearing orange frosting on her cheek.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kayano narrowed her eyes and whispered harshly, “Oh you</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“FOOD FIGHT!” Nakamura crowed, pumping her fist up and arming herself with the marshmallows on her plate.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“NOT MY DRESS!” Okajima screeched as he dived behind a table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Get behind me, Yuuma,” Maehara ordered, standing in front of Isogai with his arms protectively held out wide, “I’ll shield you, baby. HEY A*HOLES, YOU WANT MY BOYFRIEND YOU GOTTA GET THROUGH ME!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Fuwa’s katanas were unsheathed and she held them out offensively, “Just try and hit me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who the hell brings katanas to a food fight?” Sugino asked incredulously.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aaand I think that’s our cue to leave,” Karma said, snaking an arm around Nagisa’s waist as the food-turned-ammunition started to get thrown through the air.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Later, when Nagisa felt his spine press against the rough bark of a tree deep in the E-Class forest, he looked down at the grinning redhead, who’s waist he had his legs wrapped around, and sighed, “you started that food fight on purpose, didn’t you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What makes you say that?” The innocent lilt of Karma’s voice was overpowered by the smirk that adorned his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Karma…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, come on. Do you blame me? I’ve been trying to get us alone all night. Honestly, if you just let us leave earlier, I wouldn’t have had to resort to such measures.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You always have to create chaos everywhere you go, don’t you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have no idea what you're talking about, my little angel. Now why don’t you stop talking and let this devil take you to heaven?”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. A Million Dreams (Are Keeping Me Awake)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Pairing: Maeiso</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>I close my eyes and I can see</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A world that's waiting up for me</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That I call my own</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Through the dark, through the door</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Through where no one's been before</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But it feels like home</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maehara Hiroto was seven years old when he approached Isogai Yuuma during playtime. The brunette was sitting cross-legged in the field, his little legs that were clad in tiny black shoes and grey uniform shorts surrounded by grass blades, buttercups and dandelions and nestled in them was an open book that he was diligently reading. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hiya Isogai,” Hiroto called as he bounded over with all of the unmatched energy of an elementary school child, “what are you reading?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isogai looked up at his classmate and closest friend, lips tweaking upwards into a small smile at the other’s exuberance.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s a book about fair trade,” he explained, “I was talking about how my parents were telling me about workers’ rights to Fujioka-Sensei yesterday and she let me borrow this to read for the day.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sounds interesting,” Hiroto said, plopping himself down on the area of grass opposite him, sending floofs of dandelion seeds spiralling everywhere, “do you like it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m learning a lot,” the other nodded, “but it’s really sad to read about how other people are getting ex-exploi-exploited.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What does that mean?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It means that they get treated badly by the people they work for.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That sounds awful,” Hiroto said gravely, “why would people treat other people badly if the other people are doing work for them?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because they want to make more money,” Isogai frowned, scrunching up his nose with disgust, “it’s really terrible how some people are treated just because they’re poorer. When I grow up, I want to make sure that everyone is treated fairly and equally. You know like those people that do charity work in poorer countries.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wow, Isogai, that sounds amazing,” Hiroto breathed out in awe, “you’re so nice and cool. I bet that when you grow up, you’re gonna help a lot of people.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You really think so?” Isogai’s eyes were wide and hopeful.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hiroto nodded so fast he thought that his head was going to fly off, “totally, you’re going to be awesome and I’m going to go around telling people ‘You see that awesome person called Isogai, well he’s my best friend’ – that is if we’re still best friends when we’re grown ups.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course we’re going to still be best friends,” Isogai said, “we’re going to be best friends forever.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And ever and ever,” Hiroto recited. Then he perked up, “we should make each other friendship bracelets.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“With what?” Isogai asked, “we don’t have any string.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We don’t need string,” Hiroto smiled and waved his hand before gesturing to the field they were sitting on, “we’ve got these.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isogai looked around the field blankly, “grass?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No silly,” Maehara picked a daisy that was growing near his foot, “daisies. Don’t tell me you’ve never made a daisy chain before.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-I haven’t,” Isogai looked down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay,” Hiroto reassured, “I’ll teach you, alright. That is if you want to learn.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I do,” Isogai said, “thank you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, well, here’s how you do it,” Maehara instructed and started to act out what he was saying. “first you get a daisy like this. Then you use the nail on your thumb to cut a tiny little line on the stem. It can’t be too big or the stem might break completely and if it’s too small the other daisy won’t go through so you’ve got to be really careful, alright. Okay, then after that, you get another daisy and put it through the hole backwards so that the stem goes through, and tadaa,” he held up the connected flowers proudly, “and you just do this until the chain is as long as you want it to be.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isogai clapped politely, “that’s really nice, Maehara. How do you know how to do that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My big sisters taught me how,” Maehara explained, then his face dropped a bit, “they’re so smart that they know a bunch of things. Way more than I do.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think you’re really smart,” Isogai told him, beaming.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not as smart as them,” he said, “when they were my age, they were getting much higher in tests than I am. Everyone expects me to be just like them. My parents, the teachers. It’s like I’m not allowed to get lower than them or everyone will be disappointed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I won’t be,” Isogai remarked, “I think you’re great just as you are.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just wish everyone sees me as me and not as my sisters’ little brother.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What if I start calling you ‘Hiroto’?” Isogai asked, blushing, “None of your sisters are called that, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maehara looked at him in shock, “‘Hiroto’? Like my birthname?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I won’t do it if you don’t like it,” the other mumbled, looking down at his fingers that were twiddling with the end of his shirt, “I was just thinking-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I LOVE IT!” Hiroto cried, leaning forward on his palms, “does that mean I can call you ‘Yuuma’?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure, if you want.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“YAY!” he gathered the brunette into a hug, “Yuuma you are the bestest friend ever.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So-so are you Ma-Hiroto.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks. Now come on, let’s make some friendship bracelets.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My mom and dad told me that I’m gonna have a little sister soon,” Iso-Yuuma informed him, five minutes later as he threaded the stem of one daisy through the stem of another, his book carefully closed and placed next to him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Really?” Maehara said as he carefully finished his ring of daisies, “are you excited?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yuuma hummed, “a bit. I think it might be fun being a big brother.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I bet it’ll be way more fun than being a little brother,” Hiroto stated, “here, have another chain.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve already given me so much, though,” Yuuma laughed, displaying his arms that each had at least three daisy bracelets.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, maybe it can be a necklace like the one you’ve made for me,” Hiroto suggested, pointing at the string of daisies around his neck.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yuuma regarded the linked flowers, “I think that it might be a bit too small for me to put over my head, Hiroto.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, you’re right,” he conceded despondently, pouting before he brightened, “wait a minute, I have an idea.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He stood up, ignoring the perplexed look the other gave him as he rose, and stood directly over him. Then with the most care he had ever given to complete a task, he placed the ring of daisies on top of the other's head before taking a step back to admire his handiwork. The bracelet-turned-necklace-turned-crown sat among hickory curls, white petals contrasting with the dark brown locks that they mingled with.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wow, Yuuma,” Hiroto breathed out with the admiration of someone being given the moon on a platter, “you look so nice. Like a prince.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Really?” Yuuma laughed, “me, a prince?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yep,” Hiroto responded. He took a dramatic bow, “you’re the most princely prince to ever prince, your highness.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hiroto…,” Yuuma let out a few bashful giggles, but didn’t remove </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Fujioka-Sensei asked the two of them, who had arms and necks that were wrapped with daisies, why they were bringing weeds into her classroom, all Hiroto could do was cheekily reply, “to show the world that we’re best friends.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yuuma smiled, still wearing that crown, and Hiroto smiled back, knowing for a fact that Isogai Yuuma was one very special person.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>'Cause every night I lie in bed</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The brightest colors fill my head</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A million dreams are keeping me awake</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I think of what the world could be</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A vision of the one I see</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A million dreams is all it's gonna take</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A million dreams for the world we're gonna make</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><h3>
  <span>Hiroto is fifteen years old when he meets up with Yuuma in the E-Class forest after school.</span>
</h3><p> </p><p>
  <span>...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You need to tell him,” Okano had said the day previously, looming over his desk with her arms crossed and mouth pressed in a firm line, “like seriously, it’s starting to get annoying.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hiroto glared at her from his seat, “what the hell are you talking about?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The girl scoffed, “oh, don’t play dumb, dumbass. You know exactly what I’m talking about.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Clearly I don’t,” he drawled, indignant, “otherwise I wouldn’t be asking.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m talking about the soap opera that’s going between you and Isogai.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh hell no.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What-what ‘soap opera’?” Hiroto spluttered, “keep your delusions to yourself, Okano. I’m trying to finish my algebra homework.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Why don’t you just grow a pair, man up and confess to him, you idiot?” Okano asked, foot tapping with impatience.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I don’t even-”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Don’t you dare say that you don’t like him,” she rolled her eyes and pointed a threatening finger right at his face, “anyone with eyes that you’re the biggest Isogai simp out there. Like seriously, you’re doing a terrible job of hiding those lovesick eyes.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Did you just say ‘simp’?” Maehara asked with incredulity, “You spend way too much time with Fuwa.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Don’t change the subject. Why haven’t you confessed to him yet?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Because-because I can't, alright.” Hiroto sighed, choosing that it would only be futile to argue,  “It-it would ruin everything. I’m perfectly fine with just staring at him and fantasizing without ever making a move until I die.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You idiot,” Okano admonished, “‘ruin everything’? Dude, he likes you.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Well, of course he likes me, we’re best friends - and that’s all we’ll ever be.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Not if you do something about it.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“And ruin the amazing friendship we already have? No thank you.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You won’t be ruining anything. Listen, idiot, because I’m only going to say this once - it’s hard enough trying to concentrate in this class, I don’t need your K-Drama causing more distractions. Isogai likes you back.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Wait, what?!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What?” Maehara breathed, dropping his pen. He was too busy trying to push down the little bubble of hope that was floating up his chest to pay attention to it as it rolled away. No way would Yuuma like him. Right? His playboy antics were known by everyone - as if someone would want to be with someone like </span>
  </em>
  <span>him</span>
  <em>
    <span>. But Okano wasn’t a liar and as much as she seemed to dislike him, she wouldn’t just push him to make a fool of himself.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You think I’m kidding. I’m not as good at reading people as Nagisa is but trust me when I say that your pining and crushing isn’t unrequited. So go ahead and get your man before I have to do something about it.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>With that, she sauntered off, her swinging school bag nearly whipping his face. He sighed and looked down only to find out that the page of his maths exercise book was bordered by doodles of daisies, hearts and initials that belonged to the very person he was trying not to think about.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>...</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You wanted to see me?” Yuuma asked, his smile kind and warm and captivating and it just wanted to make Hiroto melt into the ground. He looked so beautiful, among all the greenery, with his immaculately pressed uniform, entrancing amber eyes, and perfect chocolate tresses that looked incandescent from the way they were laced with golden sunlight. Hiroto was completely dumbstruck by the sight; in his eyes the other teenger looked like some sort of woodland fairy prince or guardian angel, far too good and pure to be seen among someone like him. Would it be worth it, to act so selfishly, to throw away years of friendship, to force the person he had surrendered his heart to to downgrade and settle for him when he could do far </span>
  <em>
    <span>far</span>
  </em>
  <span> much better? But then he thinks about that flower field in elementary school where he first found out just how soft Yuuma’s hair felt, at how right it was for his fingers to rest in between those brown strands. He thinks about those times when shots of euphoria would zip through every nerve like he was hit by lightning every time they would touch - with every brush of their hands, with every pat on the shoulder, with every nearly there blow whenever they spar each other - and he wonders what it would be like to be able to live a life that didn’t include the torture of not knowing </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He took a breath, looked straight at Yuuma - then faltered, “I-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hiroto narrowly avoided Yuuma’s fist as he took a step back. Yuuma, the adorable bastard, gave him a triumphant smile just as Hiroto got into a defensive stance with his arms raised in front of his chest and face. The representative threw himself forward with a clenched fist, which he was prepared for, so he used the other’s forward momentum to his advantage. Leaning back, he grabbed Yuuma by his extended arm and the front collar of his PE shirt and pulled him down, using the leg he planted behind the others, to tug him downwards. The moment his opponent collided with the floor, he was on him, with a palm to his chest and his knee on his abdomen. Trying as hard as he could, the Ikeman couldn’t push him off, nor could his half-hearted glare get rid of the smug smirk that the blond wore, relishing in his victory over his best friend. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But then, like a bucket of cold ice was dumped over him, their closeness dawned over him and all he could focus on was Yuuma under him - face flushed with exertion and gleaming with perspiration, strands of hickory fanned out beneath him like a halo, a small smile playing on his lips and his chest rising and falling under his palm with every deep inhale and exhale he took. He got up and off him, like Yuuma’s body was made out of burning iron, his heart beating like a jackhammer in his chest, so powerful and forceful that he feared that it would burst through his chest. He squeezed his eyes shut and looked away, willing for the flames that were tickling his cheeks to extinguish. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Maehara,” Yuuma asked, once he had gotten himself up. He looked so confused, bless him, with his (gorgeous, stunning, absolutely breathtaking) eyes wide and head tilted to the side, “is everything alright?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What? Yeah, sure. I’m fine. Great actually. Mmmhmm, just, you know basking in the fact that I beat you,” he laughed, shakily, nervously, feeling like all of his insides were about to become outsides.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yuuma smiled at him, “if you’re sure.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Totally,” he nodded, trying to get rid of the image of his best friend under him as well as the thoughts of what would’ve happened if he leaned down and pressed his lips against those soft, panting ones. Would Yuuma have minded? Would he have kissed back? Or would he have been horrified? Maybe it’s best to leave those sorts of questions unanswered - even if they do keep him up at night.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hiroto,” Yuuma whispered, concern etched onto his face. It was normal for them to use their given names in private, when it was just the two of them, and everytime they did, it made Hiroto’s head feel light, “is everything alright? What’s wro-?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I like you,” he blurted out, his heart becoming heavy at the other’s shocked expression (what the hell happened to the cool, confident Maehara Hiroto that everyone else knew?), “I’ve liked you for a while actually - I mean, who wouldn’t. You’re like this amazing perfect person who deserves the world and you’re honestly the best friend ever and I’m super happy just being friends with you and I’m rambling aren’t I. Look, I don’t want things to be awkward between us, but I guess that they kind of already are now. I’m sorry if this makes you uncomfortable - which I totally get because I'm springing this on you out of nowhere but I have romantic feelings for you and yeah. Okay, I’m done. So let’s head back and pretend this never happened whilst I contemplate jumping off of a cliff, goodbye.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After practically word-vomiting in front of his rightfully confused best bro, he quickly spun on his heel and was about to walk away but stopped when he felt a hand on the crook of his elbow, gently turning him back around. He gathered all of the little courage he had to peek at Yuuma’s face, only to be surprised to see the shorter boy wear a goofy grin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What? Aren’t - aren’t you weirded out?” Hiroto’s eyes widened. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“‘Weirded out’?” Yuuma laughed, “This is the happiest I’ve felt in days. The guy I have a crush on just confessed to me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wai-crush-what?” Hiroto stammered, feeling a thousand different emotions at once, “wait, you-you mean-you mean that you like me back?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yuuma gave a full blown grin at the small, tentative tone of the blond, “Of course I like you back, Hiroto. I’ve liked you for quite a while actually.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You-you do?” Hiroto could feel his heart fluttering like no other, “are you sure?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, of course I’m sure,” Yuuma took both of Hiroto’s hands in his, “the most sure that I’ve ever been about anything.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hiroto laughed. He couldn’t help it. He just laughed and laughed and laughed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He likes him back. Yuuma likes him back.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He grabbed the other in a crushing hug, basking in the warmth that Yuuma emitted, almost shaking at the force of his hysterical laughter. He was pretty sure that he could be heard for miles but he didn’t care about that - why should he care about anything else that wasn’t the brown-haired teenager that was wrapped in his embrace, also laughing along with him? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pulled Yuuma back so that he could look right into those golden-brown eyes, tears in his own, “so does this mean we’re - you know - a thing?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yuuma smiled, “only if you want to be.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He does. He does. More than anything else in the world.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So he tells him so. And Yuuma’s smile widens and he can’t help himself. He has to ask, “can I kiss you? Please?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yuuma nodded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He leaned forward, wrapping his hands around the other’s waist so that he could press his lips against Yuuma’s and everything else fell away. He could hear Yuuma’s intake of breath at the pressure before he felt slender fingers rest on either side of his face. He could feel thumbs rubbing circles onto his cheeks as their kiss deepened and everything just felt so </span>
  <em>
    <span>right</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Even though his neural pathways had stopped working and his soul had ascended his body, he had never felt more alive and grounded. When Yuuma inclined his head backwards, he immediately chased after him before he knew what he was doing, like it only natural to want to be connected with this absolutely amazing person. All he could do was articulately say, “that was nice.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was,” Yuuma giggled, “it makes me feel like I want to do it again. Preferably sooner than later.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He couldn’t have supressed the dumb grin if he tried, “Yeah, me too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So maybe we-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait,” Hiroto said abruptly, “I’ve got something.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yuuma blinked at him as he opened his school bag and pulled out a bouquet of mountain daisies. He thrust them in front of the representative’s nose.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Flowers. For you. I mean I got them for you. You don't have to take them if you don’t want to but I saw them and-” Man, Okuda was right about words being hard.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Fortunately Yuuma saved him from embarrassing himself further, taking the bouquet with a gentle smile and looking at them like they were the most precious things in the world - and wow, now Hiroto’s jealous of a bunch of dead plants, “thank you, Hiroto. They’re lovely. I love them. Now, come on - let’s go home.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know,” Hiroto said as they walked home together, their interlocked hands swinging in between them, “you remind me of those daisies.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why?” Yuuma’s eyes were twinkling, “because I’m so common?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” Hiroto gave him a half-hearted glare and then pecked his cheek because that’s something he’s allowed to do now, “because the lady at the florist shop told me that they symbolise innocence and purity.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yuuma blushed, “really?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, something about children and Norse mythology and the goddess of love and fertility and stuff. Oh and did you know that daisies can represent soulmates and true love. Apparently, daisies are made by blending two different flowers into one - plus new beginnings. You apparently give daisies to people who are ‘starting a new chapter in their life’.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“‘A new chapter’?” Yuuma asked, “If this is how the chapter starts, I can’t wait to read what happens next.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hiroto squeezed their hands. Yeah, he was thinking the exact same thing</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>There's a house we can build</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Every room inside is filled</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>With things from far away</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The special things I compile</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Each one there to make you smile</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>On a rainy day</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hiroto was seventeen years old when he asked Yuuma Isogai, “do you ever wonder what the future holds?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They were leaning against a bridge that connected one patch of grass in the park to another, watching flower petals and discarded twigs float along the tranquil stream below them. The wind danced through Isogai’s hair, sending brunette locks flowing around and Hiroto was leaning on his elbows, watching his better half with the usual mix of adoration and admiration.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yuuma hummed, eyes trained on a stray leaf that was slowly gliding downwards, "I've read somewhere that the best way to predict the future is to create it."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Really?" Hiroto smiled, "so if I predicted that I'm going to marry you and I propose to you right now, would I have created and predicted our future?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm not too sure," Yuuma was looking down but his blush didn't go unnoticed, "considering that part of it depends on whether I say yes or not."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Does that mean that you're saying no."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It means," Yuuma replied, "that we're still High School students."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So you want to elope?" Hiroto wiggled his eyebrows.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That earned him a slap on his shoulder, "Hiroto."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Okay, okay," he laughed as the other rolled his eyes fondly, "not that we can elope anyway. Okano made it clear to me that if we get married without her, she’ll hang me from my intestines.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Plus, I don’t think your sisters would appreciate being left out as well.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two of them let the silence wash over them, Yuuma let his head rest sideways on Hiroto’s shoulder and Hiroto started to pet the brown strands on his forehead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Honestly,” Hiroto mused, “I don’t care what we do in the future. I just want to be with you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yuuma smiled with eyes so bright that it could put a nebula to shame, “That’s what I want as well.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nice to know the feeling’s mutual.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We should go,” Yuuma said after a few seconds had passed, “it’s getting late.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I wasn't joking about marrying you, you know."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They walked out of the park hand in hand, the matching metal daisy charms that were connected to the silver chains on their wrists clinking against each other with every step they took. </span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>They can say, they can say it all sounds crazy</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>They can say, they can say we've lost our minds</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I don't care, I don't care if they call us crazy</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Run away to a world that we design</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s going on here, Yuuma?” a nineteen year old Hiroto calls to Yuuma when he enters the kitchen of their shared apartment, arms loaded with takeout.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He’s come home to find his boyfriend looking absolutely adorable in the oversized sweater - that Hiroto swore belonged to him - as he mixes the contents of a large plastic bowl. His sleeves were rolled up to display his pale upper arms (and Hiroto is thanking whatever gods are out there for the sight). He turns to Hiroto with a welcoming smile, “I’m just making some cookies for a classmate’s birthday.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hiroto hummed before making his way to Yuuma and glomping him from behind, “sounds nice. I’m sure they’ll like it”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hiroto,” Yuuma laughed, “it’s kind of hard to move with you here like this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t care. I need my Yuuma cuddles,” With both of them being swamped with University work, and the hecticness of life as well as upcoming exams, it was hard to get some proper quality time together so any chance Hiroto had to give or receive affection from his antennaed boyfriend he’d gladly welcome it with open arms.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“At least wait for me to finish. I’m all covered with flour at the moment.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmm, you’re right about that Yuuma,” he agreed with a nod once he had turned the other around to face him. He swiped at some of the patches of flour that lay on his face, “not that it’s a bad thing. I think it makes you look all cute - like a little marshmallow.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With no warning whatsoever, Yuuma had grabbed a handful of flour and thrown it at Hiroto’s unexpecting face, making him choke and splutter at the floating powder. Yuuma gave a mischievous smile when Hiroto blinked owlishly at him, “who’s the marshmallow now?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you’re going to pay for that,” Hiroto mock-glared.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yuuma, however, was undeterred, answering only with a raised eyebrow, “oh really? Is that so?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yep,” Hiroto smirked and Yuuma’s eyes went wide at the sight of his wicked expression. Before he could blink, the other surged forward, swooping the brunette into a bridal carry.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hiroto!” Yuuma yelped at the sudden change in momentum and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend’s neck. Hiroto only laughed in response and hitched his precious cargo up so that he could carry him more easily and comfortably as he made his way to their bedroom. After kicking the door shut with his heel, he went over to their bed and gently dropped Yuuma onto it before crawling on afterwards. For a moment, he just let himself over above Yuuma, with his hands pressed onto the spaces either side of his head, so that he can once again just take in how unexplainably gorgeous his boyfriend was - pale skin tickled with a rosy pink blush and bathed in soft amber courtesy of their bedroom lights, hickory strands falling and curling just right onto his forehead and the yellow and white blossoms that were dotted onto the linen duvet, wide golden-brown eyes, staring up at him with a look of unadulterated love that Hiroto knew was only reserved for. He was a vision on their yellow daisy-patterned bedsheets and all Hiroto wanted to do was to wrap him up in a hug and never let him go. Hiroto’s fingers absentmindedly traced the outline of one of the flowerets on the duvet. The two of them bought a ton of furniture and other necessities that were decorated with their favourite flower: couch pillows, plates, chair covers, curtains, you name it. After all it only made sense to fill their home with things that represent them, that represent their pure, sweet, destined love. Everyday felt like a new beginning to him because every single time he would wake up with his arms wrapped around the most beautiful and perfect person to ever exist he would always feel himself falling for his Ikeman all over again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then he struck. With an unrelenting pace, he prodded and wriggled his fingers on Yuuma’s ribcage, making the other squirm and writhe. Yuuma exploded into a cacophony of giggles as Hiroto continued to trail his fingers up and down his sides, tears of mirth budding at the corner of his eyes. The melodic sound of his laughter only spurred Hiroto on as he continued his attack. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“NO-HAHA-STO-STO-HAHAHAHAH-HI-HIRO-I!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What was that, love?” Hiroto laughed as well - albeit much more controllably, “I’m afraid that you’re going to have to speak up, Yuuma.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“HI-HIRO-HAHAHA-STO-HA”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hiroto just about manages to dodge his boyfriend’s flailing arms and kicking legs, giddiness blooming in his chest at the other’s thrashing. Fortunately, he does show mercy and stops tickling him - mainly because he supposes that a dead boyfriend would not be able to give him cuddles and kisses as much as an alive one would. Once Yuuma</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Can I kiss you?" Hiroto whispers, small and shy because even after all this time he refuses to believe that his lips can claim the creature of beauty that lies under him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yuuma's response was to quirk his lips upwards and wrap his arms around the strawberry blond's neck so that he could lower him down close enough that their noses were barely touching. Hiroto found himself mesmerised by the twinkling flecks of golden amber that resided in his boyfriend's irises, so entranced that he almost missed the soft reply of, "I would love nothing more."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hiroto grinned and leaned down to press his lips against Yuuma's. As his eyes slid shut, he could feel Yuuma tighten his hold on his neck, and he got lost in the feeling of Yuuma's mouth moving against his, of one of Yuuma's hands sliding down his neck and cupping his cheek, of Yuuma's eyelashes fluttering lightly against his face, of</span>
  <em>
    <span> Yuuma, Yuuma, Yuuma...</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The air turned light and his thoughts turned to mush and for some reason the fireworks in his stomach and his spinning head didn't make him nauseous. If anything, the more of himself he let go, the more powerful he felt. It can't be helped - succumbing to Yuuma was as obvious and easy as breathing even if he felt like he wasn't going much of it at the moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately, the need for oxygen was apparently more important than Hiroto's need for being as close to his boyfriend as physically possible so the two of them had to part with great reluctance. With a panting smile, Hiroto asked, "what do you say to spending the rest of the day in bed?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Actually, Hiroto,” Yuuma said, “there’s something I wanted to show you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He got up and off the bed, taking no notice of the displeased whine that his boyfriend let out at the increased distance, and walked towards the closet. Opening it up and crouching down, he rummaged through some contents on the floor before pulling out a medium sized cardboard box. He unfolded its closed top and riffled through its contents before procuring a small frame. He sat down on the edge of the bed and Hiroto was immediately behind him, wrapping his legs around the other’s waist and arms around his chest like a needy koala - it’s just become second nature for him to attach himself to Yuuma at this point. He’s just learned that it’s impossible for him to resist the magnetic pull that the other male has on him and it would be much easier for them both if he were to just let the laws of physics take its turn (for some reason, his loving boyfriend didn’t see that as an acceptable excuse to stay in bed for an extra hour on a weekday morning, which he didn’t get at all). He dropped his head down onto the curve of Yuuma’s neck, mumbling, “what’s that, Yuuma?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Take a look,” Yuuma whispered. So he lifted his face up to peak over Yuuma’s shoulder only to freeze on the spot.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that...” Hiroto breathed out, feeling like all of the air had escaped his lungs in the best way possible. Within Yuuma’s grasp was a photo frame and pressed in between the pristine glass and solid black backdrop was a ring of linked daisies.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The crown you made me when we were in Elementary school?” The smile embedded in Yuuma’s tone was music to his ears, “yeah, it is.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The surge of affection came back full force and he couldn’t stop himself from grabbing either side of Yuuma’s face and planting one on his lips if he tried (not that he would ever try to begin with). Yuuma responded by kissing back, turning around so that they could get a better angle and Hiroto didn’t know how they ended up with Yuuma on the bed sheets with his hands carding through the blonde locks of the man lying on top of him but he’s willing to accept full responsibility. He’s willing to accept anything if it meant that he could stay in the embrace of Isogai Yuuma for the rest of his life - the tiny jewelry box hidden deep in drawers of his bedside table is a testament to that fact. Man, he was getting emotional just thinking about him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hiroto’s head lifted when he felt Yuuma tug lightly on his locks, finding himself staring straight at concerned golden-brown eyes. The soft pads of the other’s thumbs swiped moisture that was building up near his own eyes (how this angel knew that he was crying before he did, he didn’t know but he always knew that his ikeman was special), “What’s wrong, Hiro?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hiroto gave a wobbly smile, not even remotely embarrassed at the warm tears running down his cheeks, “I just love you so much.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love you too,” the other laughed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love you,” Hiroto repeated. Then he dropped his face down so that he could place his lips directly on the area of Yuuma’s chest that barricaded him from his boyfriend’s heart, hoping that his murmured words could somehow get past the layers of clothing, skin and bone and implant themselves right on that beating organ, “I love you, I love you, I love you, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I love you so so so much, Yuuma.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hiroto,” he heard a choked up whisper from above.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re my life,” he continued to say against the stolen sweater (but would it be stolen if everything that’s his belongs to Yuuma to begin with?) tears streaming down his cheeks, “my sun, my stars, the air I breathe, I love you, Yuuma. Please know that I love you. I can’t even think of what life would be like withou-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was abruptly interrupted by the pressure of Yuuma’s lips against his. When they pulled away, the brunette whispered, his own eyes gleaming unnaturally, “I know, Hiro, I know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two of them spent the rest of the day among the tiny daisies of their bed - their own personal flower field.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>However big, however small</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Let me be part of it all</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Share your dreams with me</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You may be right, you may be wrong</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But say that you'll bring me along</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>To the world you see</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>To the world I close my eyes to see</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I close my eyes to see</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hiroto is twenty-one years old when he stands in front of the man he loves, stars in his eyes and love in his heart, as the two of them promise to hold each other’s hand for the rest of their lives. In his mind, Yuuma has never looked more beautiful with his gleaming amber eyes, windswept chestnut hair and radiant smile. All around him, he could hear the stifled sobs of his friends and family but the only thought that was running through his head was that he would finally belong to the man who had bewitched him mind, body and soul, standing here on the very field that he had got down on one knee on all those months ago. At that time, he was convinced that Yuuma tearfully saying yes would be the sight that kills him, but the months that followed showed him that he just might be as unkillable as their former Junior High teacher, who taught him back when he thought he didn’t deserve to be at Yuuma’s side.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>However, here they are - now standing together, as one entity, about to be bound for life, wearing matching tuxedos with daisy boutonnieres that matched the white and yellow flowers that twirled up the wedding stand, that sat in centrepieces in the middle of every round table, that were tied in together in silver ribbons so that his fiance could hold a bouquet that looked almost as dazzling as him. It’s daisies that Hara makes out of fondant to decorate the triple layered cake that proudly stands on its own table and it’s daisies that he sees when his tears blur his vision at the thought of finally, finally, telling the world that he and Yuuma are one and the same.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Isogai Yuuma,” he breathes out, reverently, like the name is his own prayer and the very utterance of it is a blessing (which it is -  it so is to the highest degree), “if anyone asked me what I would say for my wedding vows, I would have no idea what my reply would be. Honestly, my first idea was to sing ‘you are my sunshine’ and call it a day, mainly because no amount of words could ever come close to describing how much I love you. You have seen me through everything. You’ve been with me through all of my ups and downs and sorrows and hardships and you’ve never complained once. Even when I drive you crazy - and I know that I do - you’ve always stood by me. Back in 3-E, you were our leader, the person we relied on to be strong whenever we had doubts. You carried the weight of the class with a smile on your face but here, I’m telling you that if you ever have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, I’ll be standing shoulder-to-shoulder with you. If you feel weak, I’ll be your sword and shield and fight and defend you until the end. You have been my best friend, my confidant, my home and one kick-ass sparring partner if my memory of E-class serves me correctly. You are the love of my life and you make me happier than I could ever imagine and more loved than I ever thought possible. You have made me a better person and I can’t thank you enough for being a part of my life.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I will love you, hold you, and honor you, I will respect you, encourage you and cherish you.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In health and sickness, I will treasure you and treat you with the love and care you deserve. And these aren’t promises. To me they are privileges because to me it’s the greatest honour to walk hand in hand with you, to be the one that gets to wake up everyday knowing that I get to spend it with you, to be the one person out of the seven billion other people on Earth that gets to laugh and cry with you. And most importantly, I get to be the one that can give you as many flower chains as I want. You are my soulmate, my true love, my new chapter. I love you and I swear there will never be a day where you’ll not know that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>How he managed to get all of that out without breaking down into a sobbing pile of mush in front of everyone, he had no idea but he was somewhat happy to note that he wasn’t the only one having trouble keeping it in; he could hear Okano and Kataoka sniffling behind him, Fuwa’s hands were shaking as she held her camera, Okajima and Yoshida were full on bawling (which drew looks from Yuuma’s younger siblings) and in the corner of his eye, he could just about make out Karasuma dabbing his eyes with a handkerchief. The tears streaming down Yuuma’s face were sparkling like diamonds and it was all of Hiroto’s resolve that stopped him from kissing him right there and then. Yuuma, for some reason, had no such resolve and brought their lips together without a word. When they parted, he whispered, “Will you marry me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Later, when he’s sat at the biggest table in the field, laughing as he watches Nakamura try to wake up an unconscious Karma (who had fainted when Nagisa had caught Yuuma’s bouquet), he’ll think about how far he’s come from the boy that approached the brunette elementary schooler with a desire to change the world, from that boy that had the reputation of being a player, from that boy who thought that Yuuma was unattainable.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Right now, though, the only thought running through his head was:</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I do.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Every night I lie in bed</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The brightest colors fill my head</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A million dreams are keeping me awake</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A million dreams, a million dreams</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I think of what the world could be</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A vision of the one I see</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A million dreams is all it's gonna take</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A million dreams for the world we're gonna make</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>For the world we're gonna make</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Drabble Dump IV</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Nothing More To Say, No More Ace To Play: Maeiso</b>
</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t believe you,” Maehara breathed out as a sudden tense silence filled the room. Choked gasps and uneasy eyes watched him, temperature dropping by the second, but he paid them no mind. No, his sole focus was aimed at the brunet sitting beside him. Isogai Yuuma, the love of his life, his sun and moon, the boy he’d walk through hell for without a thought. For him, for him to do this - this act of  - made his heart break into two. Where did he go wrong? He knows that he might not be the best boyfriend, that the hickory-haired angel could do much better than someone like him but he tries, he tries so damn hard. The knife in his gut twisted as he stared at the crumbling remains of his relationship - and then it plunged deeper as he looked at his boyfriend’s (can he even call him that anymore?) face, searching desperately for any signs of remorse. Nothing. “How could you do this?” </p><p> </p><p>“Mae-” Isogai started but was quickly cut off.</p><p> </p><p>“Is it me?” Maehara asked, “Am I reason?”</p><p> </p><p>“Boys,” Kayano said nervously, hating to see her classmates looking so downhearted, “come on-”</p><p> </p><p>“Kayano, perhaps,” Nagisa steeled himself as he placed a hand on her shoulder. He let out a deep breath, watching the couple with wariness, “perhaps it would be best if we let them figure it out themselves.”</p><p> </p><p>“But Nagisa,” Kayano pleaded, “there must be something..”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s the only way,” Nagisa said solemnly, “we can only sit here and watch. I just hope things don’t get too bad.”</p><p> </p><p>“Would you like a hug, Nagisa?” Sugino whispered to him. Nagisa nodded and found himself quickly enveloped by the baseball lover, unaware of the daggers that said baseball lover was being given by a certain redheaded devil.</p><p> </p><p>“How could this happen to us? Are you happy now?” Maehara murmured, voice so quiet but his choked breaths reverberated through the room. He could feel the eyes staring at him and he clenched his fists to keep him grounded, to let the nails digging into his palms distract him from the pain, “was it worth it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Hiroto,” Isogai put a hand forward.</p><p> </p><p>“DON’T CALL ME THAT,” Maehara cried. He heard Okuda let out a faint “oh dear”, “I-I thought we were stronger than this.”</p><p> </p><p>“I had no choice,” Isogai said, his tone firm and unyielding, “it was the only way-”</p><p> </p><p>“Bulls**t,” Maehara remarked, “I would never have done it. Never in a million years. I would rather cut my limbs off than ever betray you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Like I said, it was the only choice,” Isogai’s voice was raised now. Okuda squeaked so Kayano rubbed her back with hushed words of comfort. </p><p> </p><p>“What choice?” Maehara let out a bark of laughter that held no humour. His volume dropped significantly when he let his head hang low, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes, murmuring, “Do I really mean that little to you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Maehara, please,” Isogai reached out to place a hand on his shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t,” his voice shook. With trembling shoulders and balled up fists, he turned away so that he couldn’t look at his face, “I-I can’t-”</p><p> </p><p>“OH FOR F**K’S SAKE!” Everyone turned around to face Terasaka, who was glaring at them with his usual look of annoyance, “CAN WE JUST MOVE ON!”</p><p> </p><p>“Terasaka, how could you be so heartless,” Nakamura reproached, “Maehara is here questioning the foundation of his relationship and you don’t have the patience to-”</p><p> </p><p>“IT’S A F*CKIN GAME NOT A DAMN SOAP OPERA!” He yelled, “Maehara either take the f*cking cards or leave the game.”</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, alright,” Maehara muttered. He turned to look at Isogai, “We are having a chat later though.” </p><p> </p><p>“So Isogai, what colour are you changing it to?” Okano said.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m thinking blue.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hah, YES!” Nakamura crowed in victory. She slammed a card down on the pile, “UNO B**CHES!”</p><p> </p><p>The class groaned and the day continued as normal.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Neko!Nagisa: Karmagisa </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>When Nagisa entered the classroom wearing a large oversized jacket with a hood covering his hair, it was obvious that there would be questions.</p><p> </p><p>"Uh, Nagisa," there they were, "what's with the jacket?"</p><p> </p><p>"Just, you know, being prepared in case it rains," Nagisa stuttered out, laughing nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck.</p><p> </p><p>The class collectively turned to look out of the window at the sun shining brightly in the clear blue sky before looking back at Nagisa with raised eyebrows.</p><p> </p><p>Nagisa  blushed, "just in case. You never know."</p><p> </p><p>"The news reported clear skies all week," Takebayashi pointed out, "there was even speculation of this week having the highest temperatures of the month."</p><p> </p><p>"The-the news could be wrong," Nagisa stammered out, desperately trying to grasp at any way to excuse his strange attire and take the attention off of him.</p><p> </p><p>"Come of it, Nagisa," Karma scoffed, "what's with the get up?"</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah, take it off 'Gisa," Nakamura threw an arm around his shoulders, making him freeze at the contact, "don't be shy."</p><p> </p><p>"Al-alright," he sighed in defeat, “just don’t laugh, alright.”</p><p> </p><p>And with that, he unzipped his jacket and let it fall onto the floor, stopping everyone in their tracks as the room took one collective inhale. Sitting atop his head, in between strands of blue were fluffy cat ears and an azure tail was curling behind him.</p><p> </p><p>“WHAT. THE. HELL!”</p><p> </p><p>“Nagisa, you uh,” Okano looked at him in confusion, “what?”</p><p> </p><p>“So, uhh,” Okajima scratched his head, “how exactly did this happen?”</p><p> </p><p>“I DON’T KNOW!” Nagisa cried in distress, blushing and shrinking into himself at the combined scrutiny of his classmates, “I JUST WOKE UP LIKE THIS!” </p><p> </p><p>Sensing his discomfort, Isogai - ever the trustworthy leader - admonished the group clustered around him, “Hey, everyone give him some space and stop staring. You’re making him uncomfortable.”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you blame us?” Kimura asked incredulously. He gestured wildly at the blunette, “Like, can you not see this?”</p><p> </p><p>“AWW NAGISA!” Kurahashi squealed, clapping her hands in delight, “you look so cute and adorable and I just wanna hug you so badly.”</p><p> </p><p>"You really do look cute," Sugino smiled and rubbed the patch of hair on his scalp that rested between his cat ears. Nagisa melted under the touch and - to everyone's surprise - purred softly, "Aww, Nagisa."</p><p> </p><p>"<em> Holy sh*t that was so cute </em>," Kimura breathed out with Okajima nodding solemnly beside him.</p><p> </p><p>"Aww, does the kitty like being petted?" Nakamura teased, her signature smirk radiating mischief.</p><p> </p><p>Unlike how he would usually react to her banter, he nodded, "it feels nice." He turned to Sugino with large pleading eyes, "can you do it more please?"</p><p> </p><p>Sugino's cheeks blossomed with bright red and he felt like he was going to combust at the sheer adorableness that was being directed straight at him, "oh, uh, sure."</p><p> </p><p>....</p><p> </p><p>When Koro-Sensei arrived a few moments later to find Sugino sitting on his chair with a cat-ified Nagisa on his lap, head nudging into the crook of the baseball lover's neck and tail swirling around, all he could do was glance around aimlessly at his students for a possible explanation. However, he found that all of them were watching the pair with mixed looks of fondness, adoration and awe - apart from Karma, who was sitting at his seat in the back with his arms crossed and glaring at the scene in front of him with the intensity of a thousand suns.</p><p> </p><p>"Can anyone please explain what is going on?" The tentacled-teacher asked in pure confusion.</p><p> </p><p>"Nagisa got turned into a cat-person," Kurahashi supplied without even looking at him.</p><p> </p><p>"I see," Koro-Sensei said slowly, "Nagisa, do you know how this happened?" To his utter shock, Nagisa didn't even answer him. He just snuggled deeper into Sugino's shoulder, tightening the hold his arms had around his neck as the black haired boy continued to stroke his head, and instead let out soft contented meows, the sound a quiet rumbling from his throat that elicited more cooing from his audience. "Umm, Nagisa?"</p><p> </p><p>"Oh, sir," Nagisa seemed to snap out of whatever it was he was in and turned to look at their target, "I'm so sorry, I lost track of time. I didn't disrupt the lesson did I?"</p><p> </p><p>"Ughh, do we really have to have lessons today?" Nakamura groaned, "I wanna play with Nagikitty."</p><p> </p><p>(<em> 'Nagikitty?' Nagisa mouthed to Sugino, who shook his head. </em>)</p><p> </p><p>"Oh, please, Sir," Kurahashi clasped her hands in front of her and looked at him with big pleading eyes, "we promise we'll catch up later just let us have this.”</p><p> </p><p>“Guys we still need to study,” Nagisa argued, though he made no move to get away from Sugino’s lap. </p><p> </p><p>“Not now, Nagisa. We’ll never get this opportunity again,” Nakamura patted his head, making him let out a satisfied hum and his tail sway faster from side to side, nearly hitting a few students in the face.</p><p> </p><p>“I suppose that I could allow a break from studies today due to this unforeseen circumstance,” Koro-Sensei relented, “but we will continue with class tomorrow, whether any student undergoes an animal transformation or not.”</p><p> </p><p>….</p><p> </p><p>“Can we keep him?” Toka asked as she continued to hug Nagisa.</p><p> </p><p>Hayami, who was petting his head, nodded, “I wouldn’t mind him staying like this.”</p><p> </p><p>“Guys, he’s not a pet,” Kataoka said, “and he has to go home sometime today.”</p><p> </p><p>“Noooo,” Toka whined and hugged him tighter.</p><p> </p><p>“Karma,” Nagisa beamed, wrapping his arms around the redhead’s neck. Karma’s own arms immediately enveloped the shorter boy as said shorter boy curled up in his lap, burying his face into the curve of the redhead’s neck.</p><p> </p><p>“You let everyone else hug you instead of me,” Karma didn’t pout no matter what anyone else said. </p><p> </p><p>“Only cause they wanted to,” Nagisa said, rubbing his cheek against Karma’s neck, “I like hugs.”</p><p> </p><p>“Your tails moving really fast right now,” Karma observed with amusement as he carded his fingers through Nagisa’s hair, “you must be really happy, huh?”</p><p> </p><p>“‘Course I am,” he whispered in response, “that’s cause you’re my boyfriend and I love you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Really?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah-huh, you’re the best,” Nagisa sighed, closing his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe we should keep you like this,” Karma mused, “I’m definitely not complaining. Well, apart from everyone else chasing after you. Guess the only option is to lock you up in my house.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll escape,” Nagisa said, eyes still closed.</p><p> </p><p>“But I thought that you loved me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, Nagisa,” Hara called. Nagisa stopped nuzzling Karma’s neck and looked at her with wide eyes.</p><p> </p><p>Ignoring Karma’s half-pout-half-glare at the loss of contact, he asked, “yeah, Hara? What is it?”</p><p> </p><p>With a grin, she held up a ball of yarn and threw it in his direction. Nagisa gasped, his pupils dilating at the sight of the ball, and lunged towards it, grabbing it with both of his hands and landing on the floor.</p><p> </p><p>“Nagisa, are you okay?” Yada asked, her tone filled with worry when she saw his body collide with the wooden flooring. Nagisa paid her no mind as he was completely focused with the contents of his hands. He rolled himself upwards into a sitting position with his legs criss-crossed and began to roll the wool back and forth on the ground in front of him, head moving in tandem with every movement made by the ball and tail swinging leisurely, completely unaware of the eyes that were watching him.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh my god,” Kayano squealed, voice high pitched and body shaking at a frequency that could shatter glass, “oh my god, this is the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen in like ever.”</p><p> </p><p>Nakamura hummed from behind her phone’s camera, “I get you girl, I so get you.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve taken so many pictures today,” Okano sighed as she scrolled through her camera roll, “I think I’m gonna run out of storage soon.”</p><p> </p><p>“Send me some, Okano,” Kurahashi said, “my battery’s low.”</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, Maehara,” Mimura raised an eyebrow at the golden haired boy, “why are you recording this?”</p><p> </p><p>Maehara shrugged, “Why don’t you ask that question to the octopus with the ten GoPros outside.”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <b>Lazy Afternoons: Karmagisa</b>
</p><p> </p><p>“Karma,” Nagisa whispered as he entered the bedroom to find the redhead lying on his bed with his eyes closed, his phone that he was playing video games on placed on the bedside table next to him. With a fond smile, Nagisa approached him and placed the tray of strawberry milk and fruit juice in his hands carefully on the floor. He stood over the taller boy and gently brushed some hair from his forehead and kissed the pale skin of his temples. </p><p> </p><p>To his (not-so) surprise, Karma cracked an eye open, it’s golden gaze glancing at him wickedly, before smirking devilishly at him and shooting out a hand to grab his wrist and bring him down. Nagisa yelped as his face met with Karma’s chest but automatically melted when he felt himself get enveloped by strong arms and that familiar scent he loved so much.</p><p> </p><p>“Hello there,” Nagisa said, lifting his head to smile down at him.</p><p> </p><p>“You missed,” Karma pouted - and whilst Nagisa didn’t think that the guy whose favourite hobby is humiliating others should be described as adorable, it was the only word he could think of to describe the other. </p><p> </p><p>“‘Missed’?” Nagisa repeated.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, earlier,” Karma explained, “when you kissed me. You missed.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, did I now?” Nagisa said, all nicely and sweetly, voice tinged with that usual angelic lilt, “I’m sorry, Karma. I guess I’ve got to fix that, huh?”</p><p> </p><p>“I suppose it’s a start.”</p><p> </p><p>Nagisa moved upwards so that they were face to face and slowly leaned down so that he could place soft kisses from the edge of Karma’s forehead and slowly down his cheek, letting his mouth rest against the corner of the other boy’s mouth before lifting his head up again, laughing internally at the displeased whine Karma let out. </p><p> </p><p>“God, Nagisa,” Karma chuckled breathily, “show some mercy would you.”</p><p> </p><p>Nagisa grinned and it was lethal - and no, it wasn’t lethal in the way it usually was whenever he would activate his bloodlust, but lethal in the sense it knocked the life out of Karma with the way it made his heart beat with the intensity of a jet engine, “No.” </p><p> </p><p>“And people say I’m the sadist,” Karma murmured under his breath, making Nagisa giggle.</p><p> </p><p>Without a word Karma brought Nagisa down so that they could have what he deemed a ‘proper kiss’, cupping the blunette’s cheek tenderly with one hand whilst the other was placed on Nagisa’s nape. When they parted, Nagisa asked, “that good enough for you?”</p><p> </p><p>Karma’s reply was to pepper Nagisa’s face with kisses, placing soft pecks on his forehead, the tip of his nose, his cheeks, the smudges of ink that was smeared from his biro. Nagisa erupted into peals of soft laughter, all high-pitched and melodical, as he attempted to squirm out of his boyfriend’s hold.</p><p> </p><p>“Karma, wait stop,” he said in between giggles, leaning his head away and placing his hands on Karma’s chest in a poor attempt to stop the onslaught of kisses coming his way, “we still have to study.”</p><p> </p><p>Karma’s response was to flip them over. Nagisa’s eyes widened when his back unceremoniously crashed onto the mattress, looking at Karma in confusion when the redhead inverted their previous positions and rested his own body on the blunette’s lithe one.</p><p> </p><p>“Cuddle with me,” Karma murmured, voice muffled due to his face being pressed against the shorter boy’s chest, “just for a few minutes. We can study later.”</p><p> </p><p>Nagisa looked at him, his own small fingers weaving through the mess of fiery red hair that rested on his head. Smiling softly, he replied, “sure, Karma.”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <b>A Fateful Meeting: Platonic Sugino and Nagisa</b>
</p><p> </p><p>“Main Hall, Main Hall,” Sugino said to himself as he turned the corner carrying a large box filled with new textbooks, “just one more corridor and I can head back and enjoy the rest of my break. Or what’s left of it at least.”</p><p> </p><p>He continued to walk along one of the many hallways of Kunugigaoka Junior High’s main campus, casually looking around to glance at the many multicoloured displays that were pasted onto the walls, mainly notices and reminders to study. The things this school did for grades -  it was unbelievable how much power academic performance held around here.</p><p> </p><p><em> “You better be careful,” Miyoshi from 2-D had warned him when his first mathematics test of the year came back to him with a grade that was less than stellar, “if your grades aren't good enough, you’ll get sent to </em> you-know-where <em> .” </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> The hushed way his yearmate had described the dreaded E-Class building still shook him to his core.   </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Shindo clapped him on the back, “Nah, Sugino’s not like those losers. He actually works hard and uses his brain. Unlike those lazy drop-out’s, he has potential.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Ugh,” Miyoshi scrunched his nose up in disgust, “can you imagine actually being associated with that lot? It’s practically social suicide. If anyone I knew ended up going to E-Class next year, I’d burn any memories I had of them.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Yeah,” Teruya agreed, “wouldn’t want to get dragged down by the likes of them.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Sugino shook his head and continued on his journey. He didn’t know why but the subject of Class 3-E was one that was treated as a taboo, it’s existence only made known by harsh whispers and sneers, like it was a cautionary campfire tale than an actual classroom filled with actual students. Personally, he didn’t understand why a group of teenagers should be shunned and treated like parasitic pariahs just because they found it harder to learn but he knew better than to publicly complain lest he ended up in that ramshackled building at the top of the mountain. Apparently E-Class students weren’t allowed to join any clubs and if he was forced to drop out of the baseball club then the world might as well have stopped turning.</p><p> </p><p>‘Ahh, here I am,’ Sugino thought as he placed all of the weight of the box in one hand and opened the door with the other. </p><p> </p><p>He entered the room to find that it was already inhabited by the concert club and the teacher that he was sent to deliver the box to was currently engaged with observing the performance on the stage. Currently all of the students were sitting down - apart from one small kid with blue hair (is it possible to have naturally blue hair?) tied down into a low ponytail. She - ‘he’ Sugino mentally corrected himself when he noted the male’s uniform that the other student was wearing - was stood near the middle, eyes closed and eyebrows furrowed, chin resting on a violin that he was playing. And boy was he playing it. Sugino found himself completely captivated by the elegantly eloquent music that was being played and the way his delicate fingers created notes that filled the entire room, engulfing the vast emptiness with memories of rainy days and crackling fires and mugs of his mother’s hot chocolate. He found himself stepping forward, wanting to get closer to both the boy and the harmony when all of a sudden it stopped.</p><p> </p><p>“Shiota that was wonderful,” Fujimoto-Sensei praised making the blue-haired boy - Shiota - blush and duck his head, “Now everyone, break is going to be over soon so you can all pack up and leave.”</p><p> </p><p>“YES FUJIMOTO-SENSEI!”</p><p> </p><p>As the students began to make their exits, folding up their stands and moving their chairs, the teacher turned to him, “Ah, hello, what can I do for you?”</p><p> </p><p>Sugino blinked and replied, “Oh, Sir, Suzuki-Sensei told me to give these books to you. They came from reception.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh yes, thank you. I’ll take that.” He smiled and took the bag from him, which Sugino took as a sign to leave. He had just left the hall and was about to make a turn when-</p><p> </p><p>“Shiota,” Sugino called out when he saw a flash of blue hair in his field of vision. The boy in question stilled and slowly turned around, wordlessly pointing to himself, “yeah, you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Umm, can I - uh - help you with something?” Shiota asked timidly, voice soft. His head was slightly lowered and a hand was gripping onto the strap of his school bag. He just looked so <em> small </em> and for some reason, Sugino felt the urge to protect this kid flash through him. Just something about the tiny guy in front of him made him feel warm and safe and he couldn’t help but want to be in his company even though he never really saw him outside of assemblies, school trips and a few breaks between classes. </p><p> </p><p>“I just wanted to say that you were really good,” he said, smiling at the blunette in an attempt to get rid of some of the nervousness that was prominent on his face, “like I don’t know what it was but it sounded awesome.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, um, thanks?” Shiota replied, “that’s really nice of you to say.”</p><p> </p><p>“You must practice a lot, right? I mean, you’ve got to work really hard to be that good.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, it’s not that difficult once you’ve the hang of it. You must practice a lot yourself, right, since you’re in the baseball team and all?” at Sugino’s confused look he flushed, “I-I watched you play during the match last week. You were good. I mean you won, so, uh, congratulations.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, Shiota.”</p><p> </p><p>“Nagisa,” Shiota said softly with a smile, “call me Nagisa, please. There’s a chance that my family name might be changing so I prefer to be called my given name.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sure thing, Nagisa,” Sugino beamed, “I’m Sugino, by the way.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hi Sugino,” Nagisa said, “nice to meet you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Nice to meet you too.”</p><p> </p><p>“So, uh-”</p><p> </p><p>“Your hair,” Sugino blurted out because he has no self-control, “it’s..”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh,” Nagisa didn’t seem surprised, eyes going slightly downcast, “yeah, it’s a bit long. I’ve been meaning to cut it but-”</p><p> </p><p>“No, I mean,” Sugino got the feeling that he was approaching a touchy subject, “I mean is it actually blue? Were you born with it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh,” he actually looked surprised at that question, with the way his eyes widened slightly, “<span>yeah, actually. My mom’s got blue hair as well. I-”</span></p><p> </p><p>Just then the bell rang, signalling that break was over and that they should make their way towards their classrooms.</p><p> </p><p>“I-I should get going,” Nagisa said, tightening the grip he had on the strap of his school bag and offering a small smile, “I wouldn’t want to make you late.”</p><p> </p><p>‘Yeah, you’re right. Have a nice day.”</p><p> </p><p>“You too,” and with that the boy turned around and walked away whilst Sugino watched after him.</p><p> </p><p>He wondered if he’d ever meet Shiota Nagisa again.</p><p> </p><p>He really hopes he does.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <b>Life Is A Rainbow</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>So, I wrote all the way in July for Nagisa’s birthday but never poster it so here….</b>
</p><p> </p><p><b>RED</b> is for the colour his cheeks turn when Sugino thanks him for helping him practice his baseball pitches. It’s the colour of the sweet strawberry that sat delicately on top of Kayano’s cupcake that the green-haired girl gave him (despite denying Sugino the very same fruit earlier - saying that it was her favourite part) - it then also is the juice that trickles down his chin and stains his (once) pristine white school shirt. It’s the colour of the messy hair that sits on top of the head of the most brilliant student in his school, the same student that protects him from bullies and watches movies and plays video games and reads comic books with him. It’s the colour of the sweatbands that are always present on Sugino’s wrist, that he always sees when they hold hands and feel when they hug. It’s what he sees blossoming on his wipes and tissues that he uses when he patches up his injured classmates with a comforting smile and then gets rewarded with a smile in return. It represents the love he feels radiating off of his friends when they’re around him (and he’s sure it’s radiating off of him too). </p><p> </p><p><b>ORANGE</b> is the colour of the face that Koro-Sensei makes when he gives a correct answer. It’s the colour of the bright locks that he sees swaying when Kurahashi gives him one of her famous beams or giant bear hugs. It’s the colour that the clouds turn in the late afternoon, once his session of practicing baseball pitches after school has finished. He sees it outlining Maehara’s eyes when they light up with laughter as the taller boy punches his shoulder and ruffles his hair. It washes over his desk during the last period of school, defining the grooves of the old scribbles that he likes to run his fingers over when he’s bored. It flickers in the old bunsen burners that they use during science lessons and in the stoves that they use for Home Ec, the same stoves that Hara uses to make all sorts of treats to share with the class, that are made with so much care that he can taste it in every bite.</p><p> </p><p><b>YELLOW</b> is the colour of his teacher, of the wriggling tentacles that write praises on his English essay, of the beaming face that speaks to him with more kindness filling one syllable than any word another adult. It’s the colour of hair of the girl that helps him out in English and whose dream is to be a diplomat, of the outspoken girl who's not afraid to be dirty and doesn’t care what others think of her - yet is also kind and can be sweet when she’s not laughing at his expense. He sees it in the flecks of Isogai’s eyes when they brighten up in happiness and they flare as he leads their class to victory, when he directs and orders them like a prince orders his knights and they dim with concern when the Ikeman sits next to him and asks him if he’s alright. It’s the colour of the warmth he feels filling his stomach when his classmates smile at him, when his teachers watch out for him, when people show that he’s wanted.</p><p> </p><p><b>GREEN</b> is the colour of the grenade that nearly ended his life, the only colour he saw when the deadly necklace he wore exploded into a myriad of flying anti-sensei bbs and then disappeared when he opened his eyes in confusion too find that he was still conscious - that someone deemed him important enough to save. It covers the special knives that were gifted by the government, the ones that fit almost perfectly in his palm like they were made for him and offer him protection and make him feel strong. It’s painted on the grass that covers the mountain and surrounds the classroom that feels more like a home than the cage he lives in, the classroom that he’s only had happy memories in and is filled with people that actually see him. It’s the colour of the strands that cascade down the head of the person that gifted him his favourite hairstyle. It’s the colour that splashes across Hayami’s eyes, that allow her to never miss her target. It’s the colour that shocked the entire class when Takabayshi took off his spectacles for cleaning revealing his own eyes for the first time. It engulfs the surface of his bento box, that’s always filled with his favourite food - and that always tastes a thousand times better when he’s with his friends.</p><p> </p><p><b>BLUE</b> is the colour of his hair, that he’ll let the girls brush and twist and gently run their fingers through with utmost care as they smile and coo and shower him with enough admiration that his face becomes warmer than a summer day. It’s the colour of his own eyes that are always analysing and observing and that hide a thousand and one secrets. It’s the colour of the uniform that he and the rest of the class wear for Physical Education, that reminds him that he’s a part of a team, that he belongs with them. It’s what he sees when he jumps into the pool that Koro-Sensei took the time and effort to make for them. It covers the front of the notepad that he writes the weaknesses of their target in. He sees it in the chalk that Sugaya uses when he draws multi-coloured murals on the class blackboard. </p><p> </p><p><b>INDIGO</b> is the colour of Fuwa’s eyes, that shine with such passion and determination that he can’t help but be in awe. It’s the colour of the laces that tie up Okano’s favourite trainers, that allow her kicks to have that extra power. It smudges across the bruises that litter his skin after the fight with Takaoka - the same bruises that were carefully treated by Sugino with an ice pack and words of comfort. He sees its shades at night, surrounding the perpetually crescent moon.</p><p> </p><p><b>VIOLET</b> is the colour of the flowers that Yada planted in the E-Class garden, that she said were the same species that she gave to her sick brother. It’s the colour of Yoshida’s favourite book on motorcycles that he proudly holds up and shows off to the class as the Terasaka gang give him thumbs up and words of encouragement. </p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Aftermath Of ‘Assassination Time’</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The air was stilted when Sugino and Nagisa trudged home, the only noises cutting through their tense mutual silence were soft footsteps emitted by trainer-clad feet. Usually that was not the case. Usually, their walks home from school were the highlight of Nagisa’s day - where he can hang out with his best friend after another day of hating every single thing about 3-E and just talk about whatever they wanted to with no judgement whatsoever. Usually, Sugino would look at him with fond amusement instead of doing everything he could to avoid his eyes. However, usually, Nagisa didn’t try to blow himself up in front of the entire class.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s mad at me</span>
  </em>
  <span>,’ Nagisa thought, swallowing as he gripped the strap of his schoolbag tighter, ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>I made him mad. And now I’ve lost another friend.</span>
  </em>
  <span>’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He supposes he should have seen it coming - he had the ability to drive people away. It’s just that, well, he didn’t think that it would’ve been so </span>
  <em>
    <span>soon</span>
  </em>
  <span>. His dad left when he was eight, Karma after a few months of knowing him - he’d only been helping Sugino practice his baseball pitches for </span>
  <em>
    <span>two weeks</span>
  </em>
  <span> and he’d already mucked it up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not mad at you,” Sugino’s voice cut into his self-deprecating thoughts, effectively stopping the downward spiral that Nagisa knew was coming. Great, another reason why Sugino should not want to be around him. Nagisa spared a glance at the other boy only to find that said boy was frowning at the floor. His eyes darted downwards to see that his friend’s(? is he even allowed to call him that now?) free hand was clenched at his side, like he was trying to hold back a paroxysm of emotion. Nagisa did that. He made the calm, perpetually smiling Sugino Tomohito - the only person since first year who approached a nobody like him and wanted to be his friend - almost lose his composure, “you’re thinking so loudly that I can practically hear your thoughts, you know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You seemed pretty mad,” Nagisa whispered under his breath, voice so small and fragile he was amazed that it didn’t break. He remembered how after the … incident, Sugino turned to him and told him to get ready to walk home with a terseness that the blunette wasn’t even aware the baseball lover was capable of. The look on his face was so </span>
  <em>
    <span>serious</span>
  </em>
  <span> - it was as if the softer edges of his face became sharper, more refined, and it honestly scared him. At least when his mom shifted, it was predictable, he was used to it, but with Sugino, he felt as if a bucket of ice water was dumped onto his head. His head was hung low, waiting for the blow to strike, for Sugino to tell him that he was too much, that he can’t be friends with someone who was as crazy as him, that his mom was right - he was nothing but a burden-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m mad,” Sugino stated, “but not at you. I’m mad at Terasaka and his gang for even thinking of making you a suicide bomber, for just disregarding your life like that - like-like you were disposable. I’m mad at whatever it was that made you think that you should go along with it. I’m mad at the fact that I just watched my best friend blow himself up and I couldn’t do anything about it. And </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m mad at the fact that you looked so confused when it was over</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wha-what?” Nagisa spluttered out. Of all the things he was expecting to hear, it certainly wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Sugino was breathing heavily, face scrunched up, and his clenched fists were shaking. Nagisa stopped himself from saying anything that might make things worse.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You think I didn’t see your face when Koro-Sensei saved you? Like you weren’t expecting it? Like it surprised you?” Sugino looked at him, navy eyes glistening with a thousand emotions, “Like when you tied that grenade around your neck, you weren’t expecting to wake up?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-” and what could Nagisa say to that? That Sugino was wrong? That it was all a big misunderstanding and that he’s reading too much into an assassination attempt that would’ve saved the world? That no one would’ve noticed anyway?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Did you hear? Nagisa’s headed for E-Class.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That no one would have cared?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I better delete his email from my address book. Don’t want people to think that I associate with him.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That no one wants to be around him?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Dad, where are you going?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m sorry, Nagisa. I just can't stay here anymore.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That he’s not good enough?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Hey, Karma do you-”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Nagisa, I told you. I’m busy.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Bu-but we haven’t hung out in weeks. Did I do any-”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Nagisa, just go away and leave me alone.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh, I-I’m sorry for disturbing you.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That all he does is mess up and it would be much better without him?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Because of you my evaluation is ruined,” Kensaku-Sensei snarled, glaring at him like he was worse than the animal faeces that stuck to the bottom of his shoe, “The only good thing about this is that I never have to see your face again.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nagisa?” Sugino was looking at him now, lone tears trailing down his cheeks, “why did you look so confused?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t expect him to see me.” Nagisa confessed softly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No one’s ever seen me before,” Nagisa took a gulp and went on, “I-I didn’t think that he would save me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why wouldn’t he?” Sugino asked, eyebrows furrowed, “if he didn’t, you would’ve been in the point blank range of an explosion. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You could've died</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” at Nagisa’s downcast expression, he continued, “but you knew that didn’t you? You’re good at reading people but not even you could’ve known that he can shed his skin.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m just surprised that he would’ve gone through the trouble,” Nagisa muttered under his breath.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to pretend that you didn’t just say that because that’s a conversation I don’t want to have on the street,” the other remarked. Then, with a heavy sigh, the taller boy turned to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, “I just watched my best friend nearly die today and I don’t think I’ve ever been more scared in my life.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sugi-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And it’s not like I could’ve stopped it or talked him out of it or anything. It all happened so quickly that I was only aware of what happened after the dust died down and I couldn’t see him standing anymore. And you know what I thought? I thought that I lost him. I thought that whilst I was here, thinking about my stupid tentacle poem, the only person that’s ever made an effort to befriend me and care about me since I got sent to 3-E was planning on ending his life just because of some stupid mission. Was I really that bad of a friend that he didn’t even think that I would miss him, that I would be absolutely devastated to spend the rest of my life coming to school and looking at his desk, forever knowing that he won’t be sitting there anymore, that I would never get to talk with him, laugh with him, play with him and do any of the other things that make this god-forsaken building class bearable? I must have really let him down if he didn’t think that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sugino, that’s not true,” Nagisa shook his head, eyes welling up slightly, “you’re-you’re an amazing friend. It’s just-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Next time,” Sugino cut in, face and voice deadly serious, whilst tightening the grip on the shorter boy’s shoulder, “you even think about doing something that could endanger yourself even slightly, you are coming directly to me. Koro-Sensei was right when he said that you don’t even care about your own safety, so it looks like I’m just going to have to do the caring for you until you learn just how amazingly important you are.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sugino,” Nagisa sighed, knowing for a fact that if he continued to talk, the waterworks would come flooding.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can I hug you?” Well, he wasn’t going to say no to that. Not after all he put Sugino through earlier.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When the baseball lover wrapped his arms around him, Nagisa felt like melting into that warmth. It was such a stark contrast to the cold emptiness he felt earlier that he almost laughed. Slowly and tentatively, he brought his own arms around the other, bringing them both closer and feeling more loved in those few seconds than he had ever done in the last few months. He could feel a starling wetness start to form on his shoulder from where Sugino had nuzzled his face in and a comforting hand move up and down the length of his spine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You matter, alright?” Sugino whispered, voice cracking at the edges, “I don’t know what exactly got into your head to make you think that you don’t, but you do. So don’t ever think that you’re not worth anything because you are and if you weren’t there, I don’t know what I would do.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And, well, Nagisa didn’t know how exactly to reply to </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> so he just nodded against Sugino’s chest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Nagisa?” Sugino said, after a while, leaning back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s go get some sushi.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa looked right at his best friend’s face, seeing hope mixed with a few other feelings embedded in his features, and he sighed. With a small barely-there smile just about making an appearance on his own face, he said, “sure. I think I’ll like that.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. A Wish In A Jar</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Pairing: Sugino and Nagisa</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Sugino,” The captain of Tomohito’s high school baseball team drawled from his perch on a changing room bench, “are you aware that there will be a hole on the floor from your pacing. Like, seriously dude, you’re worrying so loud that I can </span>
  <em>
    <span>literally</span>
  </em>
  <span> hear thoughts.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is the fall tournament, Takahashi,” Tomohito said, nerves all tangled up into an anxiety-ridden amalgamation and hands wringing frantically, “winning this qualifies us for the Spring Koshien. Losing it w-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re not going to lose, Sugino,” their vice-captain, Nakajima, clapped him on the shoulder and shot him a friendly smile, “we’ve all been practically eating, sleeping and breathing baseball for the past few weeks so why don’t you sit down and try to calm down alright.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, dude,” another teammate voiced his concern, “you look like you’re about to keel over. I don’t see any reason why you should though - your fastball’s gotten pretty good.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That didn’t really do much to soothe his apprehension but with a resigning sigh he did drop down onto a free bench. Anyone and everyone that knew Sugino Tomohito, or at least had a five minute conversation with him, knew that baseball was his passion, no competition (like, no joke, he even got sent to E-Class because he was too into it - but then again his year in 3-E was by far the best time he’s ever had so he’s counting that as a win) and that his dream since elementary school was to make it to the Koshien High School Baseball, and then get scouted and meet Arita and make it to the Japanese Professional Baseball League, and then play in the Nippon Series and then play for Major League Baseball in the World Series (hey, he’s got high hopes, sue him). Anyway, the idea is that baseball was his life and this game really means a lot to him so if he messes up even once then he can kiss his hopes and dreams goodbye as he buries himself under his bed covers with a bucket of fried chicken and hibernate there until he dies. Well, maybe he won’t be that dramatic but he really really wants to win and not disappoint his other hardworking teammates when they’ve already come so far. His dream was so close he could almost taste it. Or maybe that was his sense of impending doom. Who knows?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Sugino, listen,” his captain said, “at least you’re still a first year. Even if something happens - which won’t by the way - then you’ve got all of the summer and next year to try again, and then the year after that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I know, but-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then, cutting through his thoughts like a professional pitch through the air, was a voice that Tomohito could recognise with his eyes closed, a voice that he’s known since Junior High would always be able to lift his spirits up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sugino! Sugi-Sugino!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And just like he expected, a flash of blue caught his vision before the person he was expecting stood by the door of the changing rooms, a hand gripping onto the door frame. He looked just as he sounded, out of breath and like he had ran a marathon. He was breathing deeply, the apples of his cheeks tinted red and the drawstring shoelaces at the center of his hoodie askew, but the moment he locked eyes with Tomohito, his face had physically brightened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nagisa,” Tomohito said with a disbelieving laugh, “wha-how?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, thank god you’re here,” their second baseman placed an arm around the blunette’s shoulder with a dramatic sigh akin to a priest whispering his thanks at the altar. He jerked his head in Sugino’s direction, “that one could use some cheering up. He’s acting like Cap did before he confessed to Naho-chan.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa ducked instinctively when he saw an empty plastic bottle soar towards the other boy’s head and hit him square on the temple, the captain glowering at his teammate, “Oi, shut the f*ck up, Hagiwara.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tomohito watched with mild interest as his teammates began to undergo their usual routine of pre-game bickering before he felt a presence by his side and looked down to meet Nagisa’s shy gaze, “uh, hey?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa giggled slightly at his (sorta lame) greeting, “hey, Sugino. Just came to check up on you, you know. See if you’re okay.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why are you speaking like you didn’t spend an hour last night hyping me up on the phone and then sent me an essay over text about how I’m amazing and how much you believe in me,” Tomohito raised an amused eyebrow, muffling his laughter at Nagisa’s bashful smile. He vaguely registered someone whispering ‘gotta get me a bro like that’.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m-I’m just trying to be a supportive friend,” the shorter boy defended himself, “I know how much this means for you okay, I just want you to know that I’m here for you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dude, I’ve never once had to question whether or not you’re there for me,” Tomohito punched the other lightly on his shoulder, “I like to think I know you well enough to know that I can always count on you to be by my side.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Always,” Nagisa nodded, “and hopefully that means you know me well enough to know that even if you don’t win - which is honestly the least likely outcome - I’ll still be proud of you because I know you well enough to know that you gave it your best.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tomohito swallowed, “I just wish that we do win.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At that Nagisa smiled like he did when he had just won a game or had figured out a particularly difficult question, “Well, I think that I might have something that might help with that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At Tomohito’s furrowed brows and confused head tilt, the blunette turned and reached inside his shoulder bag that Tomohito had just realised was dangling near his hips. He placed both of his hands inside and then pushed something cold and solid into his chest. Tomohito glanced down before flicking his vision back at Nagisa’s meek face and then looking back down again. Slowly, he gripped onto the sides of whatever it was Nagisa had thrust towards him. Aware of the hushed whispers and gasps of awe, he held it out in front of him. The object appeared to be a medium sized mason jar which held hundreds upon hundreds of tiny little pieces of multicoloured papers, all folded into really small … paper cranes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A thousand paper cranes,” Nagisa said, looking at the floor and playing with the hairbands on his wrist, “Now if my memory serves me correctly, I believe that this should grant you one wish. You-you don’t have to use that now and I’m more than confident in your skills but, you know, if you need some form of divine intervention, which unfortunately I can’t give you, then…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You’d think that being best friends with Shiota Nagisa since he was fourteen would make him immune to being surprised with just how much of an unbelievable person he was, but time has no impact whatsoever because the short little brunette with stuttering words and cautious hands always </span>
  <em>
    <span>somehow</span>
  </em>
  <span> seems to do yet another thing that completely throws him off his axis.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When-when did you even have the time to do this?” he managed to stutter out, </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nagisa shrugged noncommittally, flashing one his signature shy smiles, “I have my ways. Plus, origami’s been a hobby of mine for years.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-this is,” Tomohito choked, “Nagisa, thank you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No problem,” Nagisa beamed. A few feet away, some of Tomohito’s teammates placed hands on their hearts whilst one pretended to faint. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Would Keisetsu Daigaku Fuzoku High really mind if we keep you here?” One of his teammates asked Nagisa, “like seriously, have you ever considered transferring?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve asked me that like twenty times,” Nagisa pointed out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Twenty-</span>
  <em>
    <span>one</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Tomohito muttered. To say that Nagisa had some sort of charm would be an understatement. Even though Tomohito and Nagisa no longer went to the same school, they still made a habit to walk home together. Thankfully, their schools were within walking distance from each other and Tomohito’s after-school practices with his team lasted long enough for Nagisa to be able to make it to his school’s playing field at least five minutes before packing up. After two and a half weeks of Nagisa waiting for him by the gates of the field, his teammates demanded to be introduced and one thing led to another and now they all love him. Well, to be honest, how can anyone not? He wasn’t named ‘Class 3-E’s resident cinnamon roll/sunshine boy’ for nothing (Nakamura’s words, not his). Nagisa said that it was because of his unnecessary boasting that another school’s sport’s team would invite him over for baseball club sleepovers but Tomohito just laughed and said that there was a reason Fuwa had once told him that he could take over the world.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d best get going to the stands,” Nagisa turned to his ex-classmate, “You brother’s saved a seat for me next to him and I don’t want to cause any problems. Oh and I’ve got to warn you - some of our old classmates are here and they’ve brought banners.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tomohito blushed, face-palming with a groan, “Seriously?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I tried,” Nagisa smiled sheepishly, “Fuwa wanted to bring a megaphone but I managed to negotiate her down to a noisemaker.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Whyy</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Tomohito despaired into his hand whilst Nagisa’s eyes shone with amusement at his clear suffering. Doesn’t he get enough embarrassment from his family?!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure that they just want to show their support just as I do. And don’t worry, Isogai and I are here to keep them in line.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Thank the gods</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The other gave him one last ‘good luck’ shoulder punch before adjusting his bag’s strap.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t forget what you told our sensei back in Junior High,” Nagisa said as he made his way, “‘I don’t want to just put up a fight. I want to win’.” The shorter boy then turned his head and looked directly into his eyes, a small smile gracing his face, “so go out there and </span>
  <em>
    <span>give them hell</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And with that, he left, leaving the ensemble of sportsmen staring at the door in his wake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s a good friend you’ve got there,” Yamato Akane, the team’s short-stop, observed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was so sweet,” Hagiwara started swooning, stars in his eyes as he draped himself backwards onto a locker, “Oh if only someone would wish me luck like that. Hopefully a cute girl - who would come to me before the game and blush as she hands over a bouquet of flowers-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shut the eff up, dumb*ss, no one wants to hear your stupid fantasies.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ugh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>rude.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tomohito dodged the stray jersey that was sent flying in the other boy’s direction, clutching onto the jar like it was his first born child. His entire body was on fire.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Let’s show them.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I have an Assassination Classroom tumblr: https://snakeboistan.tumblr.com/</p></blockquote></div></div>
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